Heaven and Hell
by jino turtlegod
Summary: The Third Impact has been averted and the world has been saved. It is a time for peace, to lay down the weapons of salvation. But there is no time when you are suspended between Heaven and Hell. Complete. Canonical revisions done.
1. In the Beginning After the End of the Wo...

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:1 - In the Beginning after the End of the World  
Version1 07/30/2001

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:1 - In the Beginning after the End of the World**

Within the darkened bowels of the earth, in a shadow-clad cavern hewn by the hands of man and adorned with cold, forged metal, a giant, the color of night stirred. Eyes blazed white under the cover of the steel mask it wore. Runes on its forearms sparked into life proclaiming its name - The Revelation of Salvation.

The mask's sculpted form parted on its hinges as the creature roared out its defiance at the darkness and screamed the proclamation of its birth to the world.

000

The rhythmic thumping sound of rotors can be heard as something flew over a dark blue sea littered with the crumbling ruins of skyscrapers. The flying thing's shadow was cast on the sea and the ruins until its form reflected off the dirty but largely undamaged mirrored glass façade of a ruin half submerged in the blue waters. An ungainly white form with short stubby wings which had a huge engine on each end that ran the gigantic propellers. On the tilt-rotor aircraft's sides a strange device was painted on in blood red, half a maple leaf angled on its axis with two pairs of letters making up its other side; an N and an E over an R and a V. Script ran in a curve under the device but the aircraft quickly passed over the mirrored glass before the words could be made out by any observer.

The blue sea slowly became tinged with crimson as if a child had spilled red paint into the lifeless sea. More ruins passed underneath the aircraft until the aircraft hovered over the source of the red tide, the fallen form of a white giant lying face down in the waters.

**This is Tokyo-3  
The Present: 2018AD**

A young girl of about twelve screamed as her white EVA - a giant robot - fell back with a crash that added another ruined building to the burning cityscape. Her breathing was ragged and her youthful face was twisted in a grimace of pain; her chest still hurt from the hit her EVA had received. She looked down and saw that her EVA's chest armor was torn as if it were tin foil, the EVA's blood seeped out from under the ravaged metal. She winced with every breath and she felt the creepy sensation of bleeding though she was personally unharmed, her hand unconsciously touched the white plugsuit she wore in exactly the same place where her EVA had received its wound. Above the crackle of the inferno around her was the terrifying roar of something alien and savage.

A small screen blinked into life several inches from her face and the girl jerked her head up in surprise, her thick black braid swished in the heavy liquid of the LCL around her.

"Yuriko! What the Hell do you think you're doing! You're not paid to get your EVA's paint scuffed!" The screen showed the angry image of a young woman wearing a NERV command uniform; a red beret balanced precariously on atop her long, luxurious auburn hair, red jacket with black and gold trimmings which was open in the front to reveal the black sleeveless turtle-neck shirt and short black dress skirt underneath. The young woman glared at the pilot. "Now get off your ass and KILL THAT ANGEL!" The screen blinked out.

"Yes, Asuka. Yes, Little-Miss-Perfect-Chief-Pilot Asuka Langley Soryu," Yuri muttered vehemently as she willed her EVA to stand up. The white, gigantic bio-mechanical monstrosity picked up a progressive knife that had been dropped by another teammate who was currently under the enemy: the Angel.

The Angel had grasped the sides of the other EVA's head and repeatedly pounded it into the shattered concrete of the wide street while the EVA was pinned to the ground by a lance through the right shoulder.

Yuri mentally activated her communicator and a screen came to life near her. The screen showed a boy frantically pulling on his control stick with one hand while the other grasped the side of his head. "Allen, are you alright?!" - In retrospect, a stupid question.

"NO! Get him off me would ya!" Came the strained voice of her teammate, the boy's long, wavy brown hair obscured his eyes but she could see him grit his teeth in pain. Allen Alleyn suddenly screamed and grabbed his right shoulder as the Angel ceased its pounding and tore the EVA's right arm off, the damaged shoulder easily yielded to the Angel's violence.

Yuri watched in fascinated terror as the Angel stood up from crouching over Allen's disarmed EVA-30 which writhed in sympathetic pain with its pilot. The Angel was similar in appearance to the EVA except that it was black instead of white and its eyes were blazing white instead of the EVA's warm yellow. Its armored jaw hung open, showing-off the white teeth inside, giving the Angel a hungry, bestial look. The neon green markings on its forearms read "EVA - 20". It was growling and grunting like some alien, wild animal as it stood hunched-back over the wounded prey. The Angel pulled back its leg, then brought its heel down on the head of Allen's EVA - it splattered and soaked the ground in blood.

Inside Yuri's entry plug, Allen's scream of horror was cut off as his mini-screen filled with static. Yuri winced.

"That had got to hurt," Yuri thought numbly. She saw the Angel yank its lance from the destroyed EVA as its head jerked towards her direction. Its eyes became narrow slits as it looked at her. Its jaw opened wider as an unnatural roar emanated from it, shaking the young girl to her very core.

"Uh... Asuka?" Yuri gasped out as she thumbed the 'send' button on her control sticks. An overwhelming fear of death suddenly gripped her as the Angel's AT Field completely neutralized her EVA's.

"What is it this time?" Asuka's image reappeared, the smaller screen super-imposed on the image of the charging Angel. The lance the Angel held was raised, ready to strike her down, each earth-shaking step brought the monster closer to the terrified young girl. Yuri wanted to disappear into the control seat as the Angel's lance swung down at her.

"HEEELLLLLPPP!!" Yuri screamed as she frantically tried to fend off the Angel's attack, sparks flew as knife and lance met and locked blades. Angel and EVA leaned towards each other, trying to push the other away, the concrete under their feet cracked and gave way under the weight of the battling titans.

However, a knife is no match against a lance. After a few moments the knife blade gave way and Yuri felt a searing pain in her wrist as the lance cut through her knife and sliced her EVA's hand off. Yuri stared uncomprehendingly at the stump and at the blood that her EVA's circulatory system pumped into the air, her mind briefly registered the impact of the EVA's severed hand as it crashed into a building several blocks down the street. Waves of pain radiated from her wrist, making her tighten her grip on her control sticks. But the pain of losing her EVA's hand was no match for what happened next-

Yuri screamed as the Angel knocked her down with the shaft of its lance, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped as she felt the lance strike her EVA's chest, buried itself to the hilt and pinned her down against the street, her own hands unconsciously gripped at an imaginary lance that had run her through, in an effort to dislodge it. Varied colors of pain flashed before her eyes, staying even after she closed them. Somewhere inside her head she could hear someone or something else screaming, but in her state of pain she dismissed it as a computer glitch. She had something more important to deal with; her own pain. Yuri screamed until her breath ran out and she gritted her teeth.

"Well," Yuri thought numbly as she instinctively pulled herself into a fetal position, "It could have been worse..."

The Angel decided to extricate the blade by cutting the EVA in half, the progressive edge sliced through armor, EVA, and the concrete of the street underneath it, sending red blood and amber LCL spraying into the air. Yuri screamed some more as she hugged herself until the nerve connections were cut and her EVA's screens dimmed.

The last thing she saw was the Angel standing over her, a mist of blood swirled around it as its glowing eyes looked down at her. If it were possible to break into a cold sweat while immersed in LCL Yuri would have been dehydrated.

"Shi-it!" Yuri heard Asuka exclaim through the communications gear. "Terminate training sequence. All pilots failed."

Yuri knew Asuka enough to know that the young woman was pissed. Yuri slumped in her seat as the LCL drained away, debating the pros and cons of getting out or staying inside. The sound of someone pounding on her hatch decided matters for her. Reluctantly Yuri opened the hatch of her entry plug and slid it back, the pain in her chest and wrist still burned, and she emerged into the glaring lights of the Simulation Training Area, fondly called by the pilots as "Artificial Hell".

There were six simulator entry plugs arranged side by side at an angle to the wall. A wide, retractable catwalk was now in position so that the pilots could get out. Under the catwalk, amber LCL sloshed against the walls and the parts of the entry plugs which extended down toward the room's submerged floor. Around the room were large viewing windows from which the technicians could observe the sim plugs.

Yuri could see the paramedics scramble over Allen's open entry plug. She couldn't see him, but she could hear him puking his guts out.

_'Eww,' _Yuri made a mental note not to get into that plug on the next test. The other entry plugs were also open, a chubby boy still sat in one, holding his aching head while a girl with short, red hair was standing unsteadily using her entry plug for support.

Then the Chief Pilot entered her line of vision. Yuri looked up and their eyes met, the young woman looked down at her with an air of superiority.

Pilot First Class Asuka Langley Soryu, 1st Branch Chief Pilot, is the only pilot on the base who had actually faced and defeated both Angels and EVAs. She is one of the heroes of the war against the Angels, one of the three veteran pilots from that war to remain in NERV. She is also the highest ranked pilot in active service. Pilot Soryu always made it a point to remind the newer pilots of her achievements.

"Well, well, Ms. Suzuhara. How does it feel to die?" Asuka sneered. Yuri braced up in her seat, which made the dull pain in her chest more acute, not wanting to give Asuka the pleasure of seeing her shaken by the training session.

"Fine, ma'am," she replied crisply, trying hard to keep her anger and frustration from her voice. She knew that her Big Brother would approve of her standing up to the bitch. She made a mental note to tell him to lighten up on the next training run. It still irked her that her brother had actually piloted his "Angel" to kill his little sister. Simulation or not, even if the nerve connections were dulled, it still hurt like Hell.

"Fine? Fine?! You got killed! If this was a real Angel attack and you losers were the ones we had to depend on we'll all be DEAD! Shit! Fine does not cut it little girl! We have to win! Second chances are not an option against the enemy! If this was your best, then I suggest you continue your studies little girl because you are not cut out for this job. Feh, forget that, if you and these rookies are our final hope I suggest you go see a priest or whoever you go to to have your hand patted whenever you make a boo-boo and cry your little eyes dry!!" Yuri's eyes began to water and her lower lip gave a little quiver as Asuka thrust her face close to the young girl's. Yuri could swear that Asuka gave off an AT Field. To her credit, Yuri managed not to cry as the whole room quieted down at Asuka's righteous anger.

_'Tough little bitch,'_ Asuka thought, then she smiled to herself, '_reminds me of me._' The alarm klaxon interrupted Asuka before she could continue her tirade, to Yuri's relief.

"Pilots Asuka Soryu and Toji Suzuhara, proceed to Hangar 12 for immediate deployment," A female control officer announced with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"What? Another drill? Misato must be bored." Yuri and Asuka turned to the entry plug with the word TRAINER printed on it to see Toji emerge, LCL dripped down his face, his usually spiky hair slicked down by the liquid. A technician handed him a towel to clean off the substance.

"Don't tell me you're whining because you're going into a real EVA again," Asuka said in a mocking tone. Yuri saw her brother tense up, then look at Asuka with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Asuka in turn gave him a challenging look and Yuri actually thought they would end up in a fistfight.

"You're lucky I don't fight girls," Toji growled under his breath. Asuka merely laughed with the back of her hand to her mouth as she strode away. Yuri faintly became aware of breathing again. She was glad that Toji and Asuka hadn't fought. Toji may be stronger, but Asuka's a better fighter - it would have been embarrassing for brother and sister to have Asuka hand Toji his butt on a sling.

"Be careful. Next time, you might die for real," Toji whispered gently to his sister as he walked towards the door. He gave his sister a concerned look - a look that he rarely showed anyone. He went to stand beside Asuka who had turned around to annoy the younger pilots some more.

"All right listen up you misfits!" Asuka yelled at the younger pilots. "Go to the observation deck and see how a professional handles an EVA! Let's go, Toji!"

"Arrogant bitch!" Yuri growled as the door closed behind Asuka. Then for good measure she gave the closed door the finger. She heard some giggling from the pilots and technicians behind her and she felt better.

000

**NERV 1st Branch  
Terminal Dogma**

"Commander Santiago, Please report to Combined Operations Command, an unidentified object has been detected," a female voice spoke through the paging system, echoing through the vast underground cavern under NERV-1's pyramid. A sea of LCL gently splashed against the metal posts of the raised walkways and the mountain of Carbon Bakelite that stood in the center of the sea like an island of amber. Inside the mound of crystalline matter were two figures caught in an eternal struggle, like fossilized insects in resin.

"The very reason for NERV's continued existence..." a man's voice declared with amused sarcasm into the darkness. A tall, imposing man stood up from the kneeling position he had taken at the edge of the walkway. He straightened the black uniform he wore and brushed away the dust from the legs of his pants in a bored and unconcerned manner. He briefly wondered what his predecessor thought of the mission he had been given, the doubtful honor of ushering in man's rebirth. He knew his predecessor's actions but not the reasons behind it, the actions that lead to the bloodbath of the Eighteenth Incident and opened the doors to Unification. "Ikari, what did you think...?"

Commander Crisostomo Santiago walked away from the tomb where NERV's precious ward was kept, his footsteps echoing in the still silence, his question unanswered.

000

"- peat, a state of emergency has been declared for the entire Central Kanto area centering around the Tokai region. This is not a drill. Please report to your district supervisor and proceed to your designated shelters. All First and Second Class buildings will be retracted to attack positions in ten minutes. Fortress mode will be engaged in five minutes. I repeat -" the recorded warning looped, largely ignored by a girl near womanhood lying on her back on a bed in a well furnished room, an empty bed lay flush to the wall opposite hers, a study desk equipped with two chairs separated the two beds. She wore a matching pair of white shirt and shorts. Her hands are on an open book that is lying facedown on her belly. Upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that the book is a romance novel. The girl's eyes, a striking shade of red, are unreadable as they stare unblinkingly at the ceiling.

A cellular phone on the desk began to ring and she turned to face it, strands of her short, cyan hair fell in front of her crimson eyes. She sat up on the bed, her posture straight yet relaxed, and looked at the phone as if perplexed by its ringing. She reached for it and pressed the receive button.

"Yes." She spoke in a calm monotone.

"Ms. Rei Ayanami?" the voice from the other line inquired as if in doubt.

"Yes."

"Please report to the First Branch, A.S.A.P."

"Understood." Rei clicked the disconnect button and replaced the phone on her table, right beside a beaker of clear water which served unintentionally as a paperweight for a piece of paper recognizable as a prescription. She looks at the novel that had fallen on the floor and picked it up.

"He is just using you." Rei sadly said to the book in her hand, the robotic monotone no longer evident in her voice as sadness suffused her words. She smiled wryly to herself before speaking loudly as she moved to the foyer, "Pen-pen, I am going to the base. Please hide yourself."

Rei laughed lightly to herself as Pen-pen, her hot-springs penguin housemate, squawked an answer from somewhere in the spacious apartment. She slipped on a pair of sneakers while humming to herself.

"I am off then," Rei called out as she stepped out of the apartment door. As the door closed behind her, the romance novel can be seen in her hands.

000

A white, twin-engined NERV hoverjet suspended against white. This is what two eyes the color caramel looked at. Kensuke Aida was lying down on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. He raised his hand as if reaching for the model plane that hung above his head. He looked intently at the back of the scarred hand, tracing the jagged tissue that ran from his knuckles down to his elbow.

He imagined the scarred arm bloodied. Stained by his blood, the blood of his father, the blood of the people he killed. He snickered bitterly to himself. "Now Mr. Kensuke, you are a Grade-A EVA pilot. Everything you wished for all those years back."

"But I don't wish it now," he whispered to himself sadly. First hand experience of the pain brought by EVA shattered his fantasies. He once made light of Shinji's pain even though he was there when his friend had suffered during the Fourth Incident. He had still been able to delude himself into thinking that piloting an EVA was the greatest thing in the world, a direction in his otherwise meandering life. It took Toji's amputation to crack his fantasy, he felt scared and stupid for wanting to pilot something that did that to his friend. He had resolved to have nothing to do with the military and EVA. He had even burned all of his military stuff the day after Toji was nearly killed. That was the day he decided to become a pacifist and had urged his father to quit NERV.

Fate had other ideas. The Eighteenth Incident took away his father, his only remaining relative. It had nearly taken his life too, it was his luck that he only had an injured arm to show for that day when he had decided to sneak into the geofront to confront his father and instead got caught in a massacre. After the incident, a man in a black suit came up to him in the hospital and gave him an offer. He had no choice but to accept NERV's proposal. He had to live - facing death had made him realize that he feared death.

Or did he? People died because of him. People mourned because of him. This was his guilt, this was the reason he had decided on this course of action. His scarred hand went to the gun, which lay on the bed by his side. He had reverently cleaned it a little while earlier.

He brought suffering and therefore he should stop it. He loaded the clip into the gun, pulled back the slide and chambered a round. He took a deep breath as he placed the cold metal to his temple.

He would stop it, the pain and suffering. He needed no letter to explain his reasons. There was no one to write to and those who existed knew the reason and would understand.

He --RING-- had to answer his phone.

"Yes?" Kensuke said with a hint of irritation. Suicide was a sacred thing, now he'll have to postpone it since the idiot on the line interrupted- no, corrupted the ritual.

"What?" The color drained from Kensuke's face as he listened to the caller. A little later, a determined look came over his features.

"Understood." He clicked off his phone and bolted upright to put on his boots. He took his glasses from the bedside table and jammed it into position on the bridge of his nose and then looked at the poster on his wall and gave a small smile to himself. He took his jacket from a chair by his door as he ran out of the apartment.

On the poster, written in crisp calligraphy, were the words "Duty is as heavy as a mountain but death is as light as a feather".

000

Soft music played from the radio as Hikari Horaki sat in front of her dresser mirror. She was brushing her shoulder length hair in preparation to go shopping with her girl friends, just the three of them with no boys around. Not that she wasn't cute and unpopular with the boys, she is rather fetching and her freckles, which had made her self-conscious during her junior high school years, were starting to fade. Besides, who would want other boys when she already had the one she wanted. She smiled, lifting the gloom she always associated with being alone. She looked at the photograph on her dresser of herself and her boyfriend.

She only liked to hang out with her close friends and of those she didn't have much of; Toji, Asuka, Rei, and Kensuke. She remembered that only a couple of years or so ago she had a whole lot friends. But now a lot of those friends were either dead, somewhere else, or didn't want anything to do with her and her kind.

Her kind... Hikari laid down the brush and looked at her hands. She could just imagine them dripping with the blood of all the people she had killed. Her kind... they call them "Children". The select few chosen to pilot the Evangelion, those mechanical monstrosities that were once Humanity's greatest hope for survival, now the chain that binds them in fearful peace.

She stood up and straightened her skirt. She had to meet Asuka at the base and then they would go pick Rei up at Misato's apartment on the way to the mall. She hoped to spend a few minutes with her boyfriend at the base, too bad he was on standby duty or she would've dragged him along. In some ways it was a good thing or Asuka would have probably grumbled and made gagging noises all the time she and Toji would be together.

Hikari looked at her self at the mirror. She used to wear her hair in twin pigtails, but that seemed to be a long time in the past, when she had still considered herself a child, now she wore her hair down and unrestrained. Hikari looked down once more at her hands and shuddered as she imagined the blood once more.

Her phone began to ring.

000

Asuka's jacket dropped to the floor followed by her other clothes and underwear. The sound of plastic fabric unraveling as Asuka unfolded her plugsuit with a snap of her wrist. She paused for a moment as she looked at the red suit in her hand as she stood naked in front of her open locker. Red as the color of blood.

She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she wiggled into the suit which used to be a very baggy fit on her when she had been younger but now was a bit tight even in its loose form. She used a hand and a twist of her neck to remove her long hair from the confines of the suit before activating the air pump. With a quick hiss the suit tightened to conform to her shape, remaining soft where movement was needed but hardening to the toughness of armor around her neck, collar bone, shoulders, back, and chest. Asuka sighed at the snug fit of her suit, comfortable in its familiarity. As a final touch, she took her cranial transmitters, two red, clip-like knobs made out of plastics, and attached them to the sides of her head with practiced ease. She glanced at the watch built into the back of the left hand and she hurriedly stuffed her discarded clothing into her locker. She paused after throwing her panties into the locker, a strange wistful look coming over her features. She leaned forward and took a sniff of the air inside the locker.

A disappointed frown crept into her face as she berated herself. It had been two years already - of course her scent would have overwhelmed his by now. She slammed the door on the locker she had appropriated for herself, the locker which still bore the name of its previous owner, the name she herself had prevented the others from removing, content on gluing her own nameplate under the original nameplate. This arrangement had drawn curious looks from the other female pilots and the maintenance crews but none had the inclination to question her eccentricities. Asuka looked at the nameplate and traced a finger over the curves of the letters, this was sort of a pre-boarding ritual for her, drawing strength from the imagined bond to the boy who had owned the locker. With a final sigh she raced out of the locker room.

000

**NERV 1st Branch  
Combined Operations Command**

Not many people would think that a vast geofront would be a suitable place to build a pyramid, but whatever the case may be, that's exactly what Central Dogma is; a pyramid in a vast underground cavern. Central Dogma housed the EVA hangars, repair bays, training areas, research and development labs, and most importantly; the main control theater - Combined Operations Command.

The Combined Operations Command is the heart of the First Branch. This is where everything is controlled, anything as mundane as the door locks on the fourth sub level restrooms, the defensive weapons arrays surrounding the fortress city of Tokyo-3, to several key functions in the Evangelions assigned to the base. The control officers' stations were arranged in several tiers in a U formation around the central monitor. Each division had its own tier, the Command and Control Section, at the highest level of a central area called the Bridge. The central display consisted of a large holograph screen and a topographic relief map angled under the screen.

Colonel Misato Katsuragi looked at the main screen from her usual position on the bridge, watching in dread fascination as the world went to Hell in a hand basket. All across the screen, red warning signs flared up, and off to one side, in tall, all-caps: BLOOD TYPE: BLUE.

"Aw, shit. And my term was only up till next week," Misato complained to no one in particular.

"You'll just have to change your plans then." Misato turned in surprise as her commander's desk on the bridge rose to give its occupant a better view of the theater, her commander was smiling at her from behind it. Misato nodded, then returned to her post. She knew that behind her Santiago's smiling face was turning to a tight-lipped frown as he assumed his command face. She had once made the mistake of observing the transformation and it had disturbed her greatly.

Commander Crisostomo Santiago had joined them after the Eighteenth Incident two years before, shortly after Commander Ikari's demise. In most respects he acted like any normal man, but in a time of crisis he can be a cool (or cold?) operator. Where Ikari made her uneasy, Santiago downright scared her sometimes. She knew deep inside Ikari was something human, in Santiago she knew deep down inside was a monster.

"The target has broken through the Tertiary Defense Line! It's - Shit!" Lt. Corrie Hayes, an intelligent looking young man with blond hair and freckles, announced just as the awesome sight of the Angel became visible on the screen. It was a gigantic, orange sphere with what seemed to be a red "Eye of God" marking on its otherwise blank surface. It was bigger than an Olympic stadium and it made the NERV aircraft flying around it seem like mosquitoes. Misato knew that the rain of missiles from the hover-jets wouldn't even irritate the large thing. Hadn't they learned not to waste taxpayers' money against an AT Field?

"Holy shit! It the Death Star!!" one of the control officers exclaimed. Probably Lt. Hayes, the young officer loved Pre-Impact movies.

Misato felt the adrenaline flood her body and she licked her lips in anticipation. For the last two years she had commanded the EVAs to crush the UN's enemies: her fellow human beings. This was what she was trained for, not for herding her fellow humans to the UN's will. She felt worried as she looked at her new and inexperienced chief control officers. Lt. Corrie Hayes was the summa cum laude of his batch from the Academy in Geneva and highly dependable. Lt. Antoinette St. Croix had been assigned to the job-- Misato didn't really know why. And finally, Lt. Miyuki Kata, liaison to the Technical Department, bright but not very social, very much like her old friend Ritsuko. She missed her old controllers; Maya Ibuki, Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba. Shigeru had resigned after the Eighteenth Incident, Maya and Makoto both had new duties.

"Warning! Energy surge detected from the target!" Lt. Corrie Hayes announced from his position on the sub-control desk in front of Misato. The other control officers were positioned to either side and a little behind him.

"What?! Where is Dr. Ibuki?" Misato asked in mild surprise as she noticed that the chief science officer and Project E supervisor was absent from the control theater. "Can somebody tell me what it's trying to do!"

The Angel released dozens of smaller spheres, each a perfect replica of the original sphere. In a sudden blur of movement the smaller spheres had spread out, crashing into the hover-jets, destroying them in several fiery balls of shattered steel and death. The Angel hovered as if savoring its victory, the smoke from the downed aircraft floating around it. Now unimpeded by the aircraft, it proceeded to Tokyo-3 where its real target was kept.

Misato heard a shriek of horror from the observation gallery, two tiers below the command deck. She looked down and saw the new pilots along with several senior pilots, watching the proceedings grimly and fearfully. The younger pilots wore their red NERV jackets over their white and red plugsuits while the older pilots wore street-clothes. She motioned to security personnel to take them out of the theater.

"Let them watch," Commander Santiago intoned from behind the mask of coldness. "It's better that they know the enemy."

Misato nodded, giving in to her commander's wishes even though she had her own misgivings. They would probably know the enemy up close, sooner than they expected.

"...my god." Hikari Horaki whispered, her hands were near her mouth where they had failed to stifle her scream. She had seen people die before and it still made her feel cold knowing that she was a killer, but she was still unused to death, especially violent ones. She wanted to run and be sick but she was rooted to the spot, a prisoner of fear.

Kensuke Aida just pushed up his glasses with his index finger. He realized that he was holding his breath and slowly released it. He knew the perils of being a soldier, but things like this still shocked him. "Six squadrons... almost two hundred men..."

Yuriko Suzuhara watched in what could be described as awe and loathing. On the monitors was the image of her enemy. An enemy that had harmed people she had sworn to defend. She licked her lips and looked on in dread anticipation of battle, a slight excitement runs through her body like an electric current. A slight manic smile is on her lips as she continued watching.

Allen Alleyn watched as the jets go down. He felt sad for the people the crewmembers left behind. He knew how it felt to be told that someone you loved would no longer be coming home. He crossed his arms and hugged himself to prevent himself from shaking. He felt sick.

Juno Hurst ran one of her hands through her short red hair, her eyes closed to the horror on the main monitor. She was one of the new pilots, barely one year of training did not prepare her for what she just saw. She muttered swear words under her breath in a continuous stream.

Henri Montblanc's chubby hands were clasped together as he prayed. It wasn't a prayer for deliverance but a prayer for the souls of the departed pilots. He finished his prayer before looking sadly at the Angel on the monitor. "I'm sorry I must fight you."

Rei Ayanami stood apart from the others. Her hands were behind her, a book in their grasp. She felt confusion. "This is wrong," she said to herself.

000

**Hangar 12 - Main EVA Cage Area**

Asuka softly hummed to herself as she initiated her start-up sequence. Slowly, she could feel the EVA coming to life. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of becoming taller, more powerful. She could feel what her EVA felt, what it felt like being braced up by the cage, her back unnaturally straight and her shoulders pinned to the cage.

She opened her eyes and saw what her EVA saw projected on the large monitors; a huge metallic cavern crisscrossed by rail tracks and gantries. Around her, she could see the lifeless EVAs in their cages. Rei's blue, Hikari's yellow, Aida's gray and beside her EVA, Toji's black. The rookie pilots' white and red EVAs where kept farther back, to allow more space for easier deployment of the senior pilots' EVAs.

Asuka smiled sadly. She thought of the things that she was forced to do with her EVA; to slaughter her fellow human beings during the Eighteenth Incident and the numerous small revolts after the War of Unification. She shook her head to clear her mind of the memories. She was going to do what she was supposed to do with her EVA: Kill Angels. Her brow knitted in determination.

"EVA Unit-02, All Green!"

000

Toji was uncomfortable. He hated the EVA. He remembered the first time he piloted one. He remembered the alien sensations of starting up as his consciousness melded with something hostile, then waking up in the hospital, his body numb from all the painkillers they had pumped into him. Then the helpless horror of finding out that he lost an arm and a leg to the monsters. Since then he felt uneasy in the presence of the manmade demons. The simulation plugs were all right since he knew he wasn't really trapped inside an EVA, that they could pull him out easily if something happens.

They kept reassuring him that it would never happen again, they told him these EVAs were better. They could keep on talking until they ran out of breath and died, it will still not drive away the fear.

"Shinji, I wish you're here," he muttered his friend's name, as he felt the EVA awaken. He hated the feeling of becoming one with the unit. He felt like the beast was absorbing him. That he was becoming a part of the machine - no, something much more sinister than a machine...

Toji remembered the video clips that he had seen of Shinji's EVA-01 stopping the Angel possessed EVA-03 with Toji still trapped in it. Of the Beast destroying the Angel with the fury of Hell itself. The thought that he was piloting something like that... He shuddered."Evangelion Unit-20, All Green."

000

Two sub-screens came to life on the main monitor. One showed Asuka, dead serious, and the other; a slightly uncomfortable Toji. The pilots gave a loud cheer that startled most of the control officers and techies. Misato wanted to smile at Asuka and Toji's cheering squad, but there was the matter of the Angel. The whole place shook as a small sphere separated from the main mass and hurled itself into commercial district, turning it into so much rubble.

"We don't know the full extent of the Angel's capabilities. You are to probe the Angel by attacking it from the opposite sides with ranged weapons. Hopefully it will show us the way of defeating it. Stay close to the recovery routes in case we need to pull you back in a hurry and be careful since we have determined that it uses small replicas of itself as projectile weapons. Shoot and pull back, understand?" Misato said as she looked at the pilots, wondering if they'll live through the coming battle. Both teenagers nodded.

Misato turned around and saw Commander Santiago hunched over his control desk, his right elbow rested on his desk with his hand touching his face and hiding his expression. His left hand's fingers drummed a steady rhythm on the surface of the desk. Misato once again compared him to Commander Ikari and she stifled a shudder as she waited for his command.

"Colonel, this is the purpose that NERV still exists."

Misato was alarmed at his tone. Where Ikari's voice was filled with calm righteousness, Santiago's voice was devoid of emotion. She gulped nervously as she nodded, then she turned to face the monitor, feeling the attention of everyone in the theater on her.

"Evangelion Units 02 and 20," she could feel the memory of other times returning. The times when NERV stood for good, Humanity's only hope. And she knew that those times were back.

"PREPARE TO SORTIE!!"

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Misato: The first battle of the new war against the Angel begins! Without Shinji and Unit 01, Asuka's in the limelight! Can she defeat the Angel or will she be the first child to give up her life in this war?! Heaven and Hell 0:2 Falling Down, don't miss it!


	2. Falling Down

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:2 - Falling Down

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:2 - Falling Down**

"Show me what Spring is like on Jupiter and Mars...," Hikari sang with the radio as she arranged the flowers. She looked out the window at Tokyo-3, the city stretched before her as far as her eyes could see, a shimmering forest of buildings with the morning sun reflected off a multitude of plate glass. She could see birds ride the thermals that rose off the fortress city and fly into the clear blue skies of the eternal summertime.

"It's a beautiful morning," she said cheerfully as she unbuckled the shoulder strap of the holstered pistol which had been hidden under her NERV jacket and laid it down on the table by the flowers. She hated its weight, an ever present reminder of her reality, but today was an escape from that reality, into the sanctuary provided by this small white room with white curtains, a bed, and the person she loves.

She sighed and sat down at a chair by the bed. "It was really scary there for a while..."

000

**Tokyo-3**

The gigantic sphere floated above the shattered ruins of the commercial center. It's enormous bulk blanketed by the rising black smoke. Its smooth orange surface was unmarked except for a large, red eye-like marking. It looked like an enormous orange eyeball sent by God to peer into the soul of humanity.

"This is Unit 20. I'm in position." Toji whispered into the cockpit, hoping that the communicators around the cockpit were sensitive enough to have heard his statement. He didn't want to talk any louder, afraid that the Angel would somehow hear him.

His EVA was crouched down behind some armored buildings several blocks away from the floating sphere, a palette rifle held in its hands. He could feel the Angel's AT Field wash against his EVA's AT field and hoped that the Angel didn't feel it too.

Toji looked up, the fear in his gut intensifying. Here was a creature of unknown intelligence and power. He knew it was his job to destroy it and protect humanity. But now looking up at it, he wondered what made Misato think that he and Asuka can do the job - the damned thing was bigger than four EVAs combined! He tightened his grip on his control stick and felt the reassuring sensation that the EVA had gripped the rifle tighter.

He exhaled deeply. He was ready as he could ever be.

000

A few blocks away, Asuka's red EVA had its back to a building, the positron cannon held ready. She took a quick glance around the building's corner and saw the Angel up close for the first time. She heard her stomach growl and remembered that she had missed lunch, which was weird since LCL tended to get into the stomach and therefore quench any hunger. Sure it tasted like brine and she would rather not imagine how it would taste like if she hadn't taken a bath that morning... Asuka pushed these useless thought-noise out of her mind as the professional within her took control. Thought-noise tended to get soldiers killed, more so for those who fought using something that relied on mental controls.

"Unit 02 in position," Asuka said, her voice strong and confident. Asuka risked another look at the Angel before muttering to herself, "Great, I'm going to fight a gigantic orange."

000

**NERV 1st Branch  
Central Dogma**

Misato looked at all the displays, hoping that she wouldn't make a fatal mistake. Two years of virtual inactivity was a long time to forget a lot of things, and she hoped she hadn't forgotten something important. She could feel sweat trickle down her back even though the theater was air-conditioned. She wanted a cold beer. Badly.

"Warning! Power surge within the target!" Lt. Corrie Hayes announced as his instruments beeped for his attention.

"Wha-?!" a startled Misato said before she saw a small sphere separate from the Angel and rush away. "Oh no!" Misato exclaimed as she mentally calculated the trajectory, "TOJI!"

Toji heard his name screamed over the communications channel as he saw the small orange sphere approaching him over the top of the armored buildings. He reflexively tried to make his EVA jump out of the way but stopped in his tracks. There was something about the sphere...

Toji's pupils dilated as he grew fascinated with the sphere, unable to move. Someone was asking him to receive it, it was a gift. Toji felt his mind giving in; he relaxed, allowing his body to go slack as he waited for it to come to him.

"TOJIIII!!" Asuka sprang from behind the building and began firing at the smaller sphere as the crosshairs centered on it. She scored hits on the sphere causing it to veer away-- right into a building. The building and those around it were disintegrated, the fire from the explosion rose high into the sky like a pillar. Then in defiance of physics and logic, two branches formed opposite each other, perpendicular to the main pillar somewhere near the top. The whole thing looked like a huge cross of fire that towered over the armored buildings of Tokyo-3.

Toji snapped out of his stupor when Asuka destroyed the sphere. He blinked several times before immediately swinging into action, peppering the Angel with his rifle as Asuka was doing with her cannon. He could see sparks fly as their bullets hit the Angel's AT Field as the EVAs' AT Fields had failed to cancel it. He tried to will his AT Field to intensify but nothing happened. Toji could feel the hopelessness of the situation sink in as the Angel advanced towards him, undeterred by the bullets.

Toji felt something pulsing in the back of his mind. Something was telling him it was no use fighting. That he was too weak. That he was imperfect. That he was going to lose. Toji gritted his teeth, the Angel was probably trying to invade his mind. Then he heard a warning beep as his rifle ran out of ammo and the Angel loomed over him, unscathed.

Toji frantically looked for Asuka but did not see her. He felt a chill ran down his spine as he looked at the Angel's large red eye marking. The Eye of God, he remembered his friend Kensuke telling him once. He began to back up, knowing he was alone and defenseless. A shaft of light from the Angel suddenly illuminated Unit-20. He could feel the presence again, commanding him to give up. But this time, the presence was more violent, forcing itself into his consciousness, tearing his mind to pieces. Images of his past flashed before his eyes. Of his failures and hidden pains. He could feel his head wanting to explode.

He was starting up the EVA, the fascinating flow of light failed to lessen his apprehension of piloting this damned thing. But he had to do it for his sister. Yuri needed the special services of NERV's hospitals. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. Something's wrong, there's something else in the plug with him...

**FEAR**

"Sorry transferee, but I have to hit you, I won't be satisfied until I've hit you." The boy he just hit looked at him with more confusion than real pain.

**ARROGANCE**

"ah! I came here on official duty as the Class Rep. Nothing but that." The girl tried to explain and the boy felt a stab in his heart.

**BROKEN HEART**

He was a child, looking on as his sister and father cried while hugging his mother. He couldn't understand.

**CHILDISH**

"He saved us all! How stupid can you be?!" his sister shouted at him in disappointment. His best friend winced, knowing that the little girl had been able to drive home the point he himself had failed to do.

**IGNORANCE**

He looked at the tomb marker of his grandfather, wanting to cry but having to stand tall and proud since he was now no longer a child.

**PRIDE**

He raised the blanket and looked down in silent horror at the empty sleeve and the folded pant leg. He would no longer be able to run, no longer able to play. He won't be able to take her to the dance.

**LOSS OF WORTH**

"You can't love me!"

"I don't deserve you!"

"I can't protect anyone!"

000

Toji's scream horrified everyone in the theater.

"BROTHER!!" Misato heard Yuri scream. She looked down at the observation gallery and saw Yuri being held by Hikari. Yuri looked up at her, "Please, do something," she pleaded to Misato.

"Target is invading EVA! Pilot corruption imminent!"

"Ma'am, shutdown command has been rejected! Pilot eject has been rejected! Unit is rejecting all commands! Synchro patterns are flowing back! Pilot is being corrupted!" Misato gritted her teeth as she heard the frantic reports from the control officers and saw Unit 20, holding its head as its body was wracked by seizures.

"ENERGY SURGE WITHIN THE TARGET!"

"DIE!!" They all heard Asuka's war cry as a large sphere separated from the Angel and headed towards Unit 20.

They all saw the blood red Unit 02 leap unto the Angel, its lance coming down to slash at it. The replica veered away from Unit 20 and sped back at Unit 02. The screen flashed white a moment after contact, Unit 02's communications system relayed the sound of a deafening explosion to the theater's sound system. They all heard Asuka scream as Toji became silent. When the image was restored, they saw Unit 02 crash into several buildings a few kilometers away, demolishing them. The black form of Unit 20 lay on the wide street, unmoving.

"This is Unit 02, awaiting orders," they heard Asuka's labored breathing even before her pained image appeared on a small screen. She is holding onto her right shoulder, a pained grimace on her face. On the monitor, they saw Unit 02, standing up from the ruins, smoke scattered around it as its AT Field was restored. Unit 02 had lost its right arm and its frontal armor was crisscrossed by cracks that leaked blood and LCL.

"Unit 02, thirty-six percent of all systems damaged, umbilical cord has been severed! Four minutes of internal power left! Unit 20, status unknown!" Lt. Miyuki Kata reported as she looked at all the red lights that had begun to flash on her monitors. Misato gritted her teeth, knowing that the only chance she had of defeating the Angel would be to throw everything at it.

"Cover fire! Ready retrieval teams! Unit 02 seek cover!" Misato barked out before turning to look at her commander, her eyes pleading for him to allow her something that was forbidden by law.

"Colonel Katsuragi," the Commander's face became grimmer (something she thought was impossible) as he understood her unspoken request. "I am activating the remaining seven EVAs. A-17 protocol is now in effect for NERV First Branch."

The statement electrified both pilots and control officers. They knew what it meant but refused to believe it. Their Commander had just removed all of their super-legal protection, they have all become expendable. They all looked at Misato.

"Katsuragi, I am putting my trust in you," the commander said giving her a cold smile. Misato nodded stiffly as her blood had frozen.

"A-17 now in effect! Hikari and Kensuke, Recover Unit 20! Rei, lead the others to Route 26! GO!" Misato said in rapid succession, her eyebrows knitted in concern as the pilots raced to the hangar area, the senior pilots not even bothering to change into their plugsuits. Misato breathed in and gathered strength before turning to face the monitor.

"Asuka," her voice softened, hoping that the girl was up to the task. "Can you draw the Angel out of the city, towards Route 26?"

"Sure, just send me a weapon and I'll--" she cheerfully replied before a fit of coughing interrupted her. Misato felt a stab at her heart. She knew Asuka was straining herself to the breaking point. Misato had already lost a pilot once, she did not want to lose another one.

"Thank you, Asuka." Misato whispered sadly, trying to hold back her tears, she then ordered that another positron cannon to be sent to Asuka.

000

Asuka picked up the cannon from a weapons carrier that had shot up from the ground. She secured the weapon onto her EVA's functional shoulder and began to re-adjust her targeting computers. The cannon's particle accelerator and internal generator hummed as they began the cannon's firing sequence.

Asuka knew that firing the cannon would be awkward since her EVA only had one arm to support it. She looked up and saw that the Angel was staring at her. A shaft of light engulfed her EVA. The Angel's red eye was like a deep pool of crimson, drawing her in.

Asuka felt a presence trying to enter her mind. She had felt a similar presence before and knew it for what it was, an Angel raping her mind. She could feel her mind being smothered as the presence invaded her, rifling through her mind searching for and finding her memories. She grimaced, as the pain of invasion became acute, like scalpels digging into her mind. She screamed.

"Mama! Mama! They chose me! I'm an elite pilot! It's a secret, but I'm only going to tell you, Mama! Mama!" A five year old Asuka running down the hallway. A little girl running into despair.

"Hmm... He seems rather dull." Asuka looks down at an annoyed boy with a red handprint on his left cheek. A young girl's arrogance.

"I'm not a little girl anymore! Kaji! Look at me!" Asuka pulls aside her shirt to expose her chest at her embarrassed guardian. A young girl's desperate attempt to become a woman.

"I hate you! I hate everyone! I hate everything!" Asuka shouts at Shinji right after her mind was raped. A girl throwing off the attempts at kindness.

"Go to Heaven with me." Asuka looks up at the looming figure of her mother.

"Good bye, Asuka." Shinji speaks from the other side of the privacy curtain of her hospital bed.

"He's not going to call anymore," Misato looked sad at the mention of Kaji's name.

"Asuka." Shinji's voice. Infuriatingly timid. A weak boy.

"Asuka." Misato's voice. Desperate to be cheerful. A pitiful woman.

"Pilot Soryu." Rei's voice. Cold and unemotional. A lifeless doll.

"Asuka." Mother-

000

In her mind's eye Asuka saw what looked like a ghostly flame come to life.

She felt like she was under a red tinged pool of LCL and everywhere she looked she saw shimmering crimson. She could feel another presence around her. A kind and loving presence. Asuka had also felt this presence before, during the Eighteenth Incident.

"Mama..." Asuka's eyes lit up in hope as she said the word. Her mother didn't want her dead. It was the Angel's biggest mistake to think she would fall for that again. She felt the kind presence around her. Like a cool spring breeze during a lazy summer afternoon.

000

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Asuka screamed at the Angel's presence. She grinned as she forced it away, helped by the friendly presence. She could feel the Angel's irritation as it began another assault. Before the psychic attack could gain strength, she pointed her cannon at the Angel and fired, grunting as the cannon's recoil hurt the EVA. She saw the positron shell arc upwards then explode on the Angel's AT Field and the Angelic presence vanished.

"Do you really think that will work twice? Idiot!" She began firing repeatedly, the pain in her arm now forgotten in the rush of battle.

She started making her EVA run when she heard the control officer's warning. She automatically recalibrated her EVA's gyrostabilizers, allowing her to run comfortably even though carrying a cannon and missing an arm unbalanced her. She felt the force of the impacts behind her but ignored it. She jumped over a low building and landed without trouble on the other side. She felt exhilarated, she had only felt like this once before, and she remembered and cherished it.

Asuka reverted to her German: "Thank you, Mama."

000

"This is amazing Ma'am," Lt. Miyuki Kata exclaimed. "Unit 02 Synchro ratio has exceeded her maximum average by four points. Unit 02 Synchro ratio is holding at eighty-nine percent."

"Ma'am, I think she mumbled something about her mother," Lt. Antoinette St. Croix reported, a quizzical look on her face as she pressed her headset closer to her ear.

Misato smiled, hope grew stronger as she saw the Angel give chase to Asuka, launching its spheres. Somehow, Asuka had felt them coming and had dodged far away before the spheres could reach her. Large crosses of fire dotted the screen.

"Go, Asuka!" she whispered, a grin on her face.

000

Rei Ayanami waited patiently on the other side of the mountain. The sensation of the wet fabric of her street-clothes clinging to her body didn't bother her, she wasn't even thinking about it. If given the choice she would rather be wearing a plugsuit or at least be naked (though she still wonders why people get embarrassed about nudity) rather than wear wet fabric in the LCL, but Rei knew that such small discomfort was outweighed by the necessities of Humanity's survival. A small screen in front of her showed the view from the main monitor in Central Dogma. She watched the battle with an intensity that couldn't be fathomed from her blank expression. Her hands were relaxed on her control sticks. She waited with the patience of a saint, if there was something she could do efficiently, it was waiting.

000

Yuriko Suzuhara felt exhilarated and nervous. This was the first time she had ever been outside the Geofront in an EVA. It was like doing something forbidden, the thrill of imminent danger ever present to stimulate her senses.

She ran her orders through her mind; project AT Field to maximum, destroy target's AT Field and destroy the target. Simple. She rechecked her positron cannon. It looked so small in comparison with the Angel. She hoped it was enough. No, it had to be enough. But then again, it was better to be safe than sorry... she began to recite a prayer.

000

Allen Alleyn looked at the others. There were five of them scattered in a rough half-circle facing outward from the Route 26 entrance with Rei's Unit 14 in the center flanked by two EVAs on each side. All of them were equipped with positron cannons except for Rei. She had a positron rifle, the most powerful anti-Angel weapon they had other than the N2 Mines. He felt nervous and confident at the same time. His first battle and he was thankful that it was against an Angel and not an army of rebels and dissidents.

"Mother, this is it."

000

Juno Hurst just thought of something. She looked back towards the entrance and knew that this could be their last stand. If they fail, the Angel can attack Central Dogma and its precious ward with minimal resistance. She shuddered. That meant Third Impact, Armageddon, the end of the world, Game Over. She faced front and gripped her control sticks, a determined look on her face.

They had better not fail. "Come and eat shit, you dick."

000

Henri Montblanc felt oddly at peace. He was not the kind of person that would harbor fear or anger. He was the kind of person who always found something to live for. The peace of God was with him.

"You're always too damned cheerful," he remembered Asuka saying once. He hummed an old song as he watched the approaching Unit 02, and behind and over it, the biggest orange he had ever seen.

"I'm hungry..."

000

**Combined Operations Command**

"Target approaching kill zone, estimated time of arrival, thirty five seconds," Lt. Antoinette reported. Misato looked at the map. She saw the red blip chasing a green blip to where five other green blips were waiting. She saw yellow lines project from the waiting blips to the red blip as the pilots aimed their weapons.

"This is Unit 15," she heard Aida's voice pipe up. "We have Unit 20. Open Route 17 for recovery." Misato nodded to a control officer who did as Aida requested.

"Target within estimated maximum AT Field projection!" Lt. Antoinette said as several beeps confirmed her report. The yellow lines became red.

"Spread AT Field! Fire at will when the AT Field is neutralized!" Misato repeated her previous order. On the main screen, she saw an orange hexagon appear where the Angel's and the combined AT Fields of the EVAs intersected in a phenomenon called phase space. Slowly at first then gaining speed they saw the phase space being pushed back towards the EVAs, right behind the still running Unit 02. Misato's gut was telling her that they were failing.

Unit 02 jumped beside Rei's Unit 14 as Asuka spread her AT Field to maximum. She could feel her brain heating up as she willed her EVA to push its AT Field forward. She could feel her AT Field being pushed back by something more powerful and a sense of desperation overwhelmed her, making her drop her AT Field back to normal level.

Asuka looked at her battery meter, less than fifty seconds of operating power left. Asuka knew that she must strengthen her AT Field or be destroyed. She remembered what Shinji once did to catch a falling Angel. Her logical side told her it was stupid and ridiculous. Her optimistic side told her she had nothing to lose in trying. Asuka wanted to laugh at how stupid it was going to sound.

"AT FIELD! FULL POWER!!" Asuka yelled exuberantly giving her best imitation of a TV mecha show command shout as she pushed her control sticks forward. Her EVA leaned forward and spread its legs apart to brace itself. A sense of power suddenly overwhelmed her. Somewhere from the back of her consciousness she heard a bestial roar.

000

A chorus of awe filled the Control Theater. A red cross of energy suddenly flared from the crouching Unit 02 as it gave a roar. They saw Unit 02's AT Field become a visible blue hexagon plane. Then the AT Field began to spread out, gaining momentum from the AT Fields of the other EVAs. When it intersected with the phase space created by the conflicting Angel and EVA AT Fields, the phase space changed from orange to red.

Misato watched transfixed like the others. The red phase space was suddenly hurled back at the Angel. They saw a huge dent forming on its smooth surface where the AT Field slammed into it before the AT Field dissipated. Misato tore her eyes from the screen and looked at Asuka's Synchro ratio, which was displayed on a smaller monitor. It was 105 and falling fast.

"AT Field neutralized! Angel is falling! Unit 02 is silent! Pilot survival unconfirmed!" Lt. Miyuki said automatically, even though her mind was still awed by the power of the EVA.

Misato was startled. She looked up and saw the Angel crash into the mountainside, its front crushed in that it looked like a ball that had lost air. Unit 02 was frozen in a crouched position, its eyes dark and the positron cannon crushed in its grip.

"FIRE AT WILL!" she screamed into her headset.

000

The Angel's damaged surface seemed to be bubbling as it tried to regenerate itself. The remaining active EVAs were just standing about, their pilots were caught unaware and confused by the sudden turn of events. The pilots had all felt the overbearing presence of the Angel in their minds as their collective AT Fields were driven back. The presence made them aware of their darkest fears and hidden most desires, trying to confuse them into submission. Their senses were awash with indescribable sensation, crippling their ability to resist. Then they all felt the presence in pain before it suddenly disappeared. Then came Misato's order.

Rei was the first to recover and she brought her rifle up, trailing electric cables.

"Good bye," she said flatly.

000

Unit 14 stood in the middle of a crater with the other EVAs. The Angel had taken out the hill and most of the nearby forest in its death explosion. Rei could hear Yuri screaming over the communications net, asking about her brother as the young girl began moving to the entryway into the geofront. Rei ignored Yuri's withdrawal from the battlefield, she knew they haven't been given the order to withdraw yet. She felt a little sorry for the girl, she'll most likely have a talking to from Misato on the importance of waiting for and obeying orders.

A little while later they were ordered to withdraw but Rei stayed behind for a while. She looked at Unit 02 and the recovery crew that had just arrived. She saw them extract the entry plug and an unconscious Asuka. Rei zoomed her cameras on Asuka as she was carried away on a stretcher. After checking that Asuka was breathing, Rei returned her attention to Unit 02. Rei mentally engaged her EVA's cameras and willed them to zoom in on Unit 02's face. The face was a little longer and the cracks around the jaw armor confirmed Rei's suspicions: Unit 02 had tried to open its mouth.

000

Hikari looked at the wall clock. Her shift was coming on in an hour and it's a long commute to the base. She sighed and buckled on her weapon, the weight of the gun pressing down on her ribs. Time flew by so fast. She bent over the bed and kissed the boy lightly on the lips. She felt tears coming at his lack of response, but she dried them off with a furious swipe with the back of her hand. It was to be expected.

There was a knock on the door and Yuri came in.

"Good afternoon, Hikari," the young girl beamed at her brother's girlfriend. Kensuke who was behind Yuri just waved at her and flashed her a grin.

"Good afternoon, Yuri, Aida," Hikari replied and apologized for leaving so soon. She could feel her heart tearing as she left the room. A tear streaked down her cheek and she ran down the hallway.

Kensuke stood by the bed and leaned over it to whisper into his friend's ear. "Hey, Toji, I think she wanted to wake you up with a kiss or something."

Toji didn't react.

"Man, you're no fun," Kensuke whined as he sat down on a chair. Yuri just looked at him then at her brother. There was silence punctuated by the steady hum of the life-sign monitors attached the comatose Toji.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Asuka (whining): Was that it? Jesus, these new Angels suck! I mean, a big orange? Give me a break! But now it's the calm before the storm. A time for new friendships and old friends. Heaven and Hell 0:3 Standing Up!


	3. Standing Up From the Rubble of Man

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:3 - Standing Up from the Rubble of Man's Ruin  
HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:3 - Standing Up from the Rubble of Man's Ruin**

**Location: Unknown**

The light streamed in from somewhere in the high vaulted ceiling and gave everything within the room an ethereal glow as it reflected off the white marble of the walls, roman columns, and floor. In the middle of the room, at a table covered by white silk sat a man in a white suit flanked on either side by six men and women who wore the blue officer uniform of the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces. They are the United Nations General Committee for Security, the hand that held NERV - the flaming sword that guarded paradise.

Before the assembly, a man stood at attention, his black garb a glaring contrast to the heavenly purity of the white room. His short hair slicked back, his battle worn features unreadable, his bearing impeccable, his eyes devoid of any emotions. He is the commander of NERV First Branch, Tokyo-3. And he had been called before them for censure.

"An A-17? Who do you think you are?" the woman at the far right.

"Who authorized you to activate all nine EVAs?" a general with a moustache.

"Since when did you outrank this committee's authority?" another man, on the left of the central figure.

"Or are you just testing our patience for some personal agenda?" the woman on the right of the man in white.

Commander Crisostomo Santiago ignored them all and focused on the man in white who had thus far remained silent. Santiago resisted the urge to laugh as the image of the Last Supper came into mind. The Messiah and the Apostles. He briefly wondered who amongst the generals was Judas.

The man in white is the UN Secretary General, Erik Reinholt, a gaunt man who had the air of an ever-suffering saint. Reinholt's thin hand rose with measured majesty in a placating gesture and the generals fell respectfully silent at the request of the world's savior.

"Peace, everyone. Please, explain yourself Commander," Reinholt's voice was aged yet strong, sure in his righteousness. "You know that authority to activate more than four EVAs at a time can only come from the General Committee for Security."

"Sir," Santiago answered, his voice did not waver, lies were his livelihood after all - that and he knew that truth was with him. "It was an unfortunate crisis that could only be remedied by the deployment of Tokyo-3's entire fleet."

"Yet the MAGI13 had calculated that one EVA was sufficient. And as I read it, one EVA did defeat the Angel."

"Sir, the MAGI13 used data that was obsolete, since we were not able to transfer all the data to the newly activated MAGI13 system from the old MAGI system which were destroyed in the Eighteenth Incident two years ago. The EVA that MAGI13 refers to had been frozen and the only pilot that it will allow has left NERV's services. Unit 02 and its pilot had never before shown such capability as the EVA and pilot that the MAGI were referring to. MAGI has also determined that Unit 02 only has a 0.0000000001 percent chance of repeating such impressive capabilities."

"Hmm. Very well. The Committee accepts your rationale. However, you do know that some could misconstrue what you did as rebellion. We have had enough problems with dissidents calling us cruel and oppressive. I do not want this incident to arouse rumors that the UN cannot control its Branch Commanders." Santiago stayed silently at attention. Reinholt gave a tired sigh, "Do you have anything else to discuss with us?"

"Sir, my fleet is now short-handed by one pilot and one EVA. Since the Angels' return, I submit that Tokyo-3 be allowed priority in re-supply. I am also requesting that more pilots and Evangelions be transferred to Tokyo-3 from the other branches." Santiago already knew the answer, his role in this play fulfilled.

"I am sorry Commander, but we cannot pull out any pilots and EVAs from the other branches," Reinholt smiled paternally, "However, this pilot that you were talking about..."

000

**Tokyo-3  
Two days later**

Asuka grumbled to herself as she sat in the train towards downtown Tokyo-3. She radiated enough bad vibes to make the people in the train car stay as far as they could from her.

_'Why did Misato choose today to be totally hung-over?'_ Asuka glared at absently to her front which made the person who sat across her sweat bullets. _'Stupid victory drinking binge.'_

She thought of a very drunk Misato being dropped off by an apologetic bridge crew earlier that morning. The woman smelled as if she had swam in beer. By all indications she would be asleep till the next day.

_'And Rei!__ How could she go off on a date when I needed a shopping partner! She knew Hikari had stand-by duty today! Damn it! All I wanted was a Girl's Day Out! How inconsiderate can you --' the_ redhead blinked as that morning's conversation with Rei came back to mind.

000

"Do I look nice?" Rei asked as she made a slow turn to show off her outfit to her roommate.

Asuka looked at the girl, she noted that Rei looked stunning in the black skirt, white blouse, tan knitted shawl, and black calf-high boots. The girl had even pinned her unruly hair back. Asuka gave her heartfelt assessment, "eh."

Rei smiled as she picked up her handbag and slipped her gun inside. Asuka stripped off her shirt that Misato had accidentally vomited on. "Remember Rei, the next time it's your turn to tuck Misato in."

"Yes," Rei replied absently as she took a last look at the mirror. She practiced her smile.

"By the way, why are you dressed up?" Asuka took her bath pail from her closet.

"I have a date."

"But the A-3 Sale is today!" Asuka cried out.

"Sorry. I will make it up to you." She bowed in apology.

Asuka grumbled and stalked out of their room. Vomited on and left behind. The story of her life...

000

Asuka sighed sadly. Two years ago, if anyone asked her how she felt about Rei she would have answered that she didn't care about the freak girl. The girl had been competition for the attention and praise that Asuka craved so much. But the past two years had seen a great change in their relationship. Two years of living together had given her an insight into Rei's life.

Rei's life was so empty. All she had was EVA. Asuka felt pity - no, it was deeper than that. What Asuka felt for the blue-headed girl was empathy. They were so similar; they both devoted their lives for a cause that turned out to be a lie. They both appreciated the things they had too late for it to matter.

Asuka gazed out the window at the skyscrapers that flashed by.

She felt envious of Rei. The girl had recovered from her loss and had moved on with her life.

But what about her - the Great Asuka Langley Soryu? Still in a rut. Still pining for a boy that left her behind. For the umpteenth time she wondered if she should ask Misato where he lived.

"Hope he's not a bastard," was all she could say about Rei's date as she sank into the abyss of self-pity.

000

_'A splash of red, mix in some yellow, there!__ A nice orange tint.'_

Henri took a step away from the easel and the unfinished painting. Tokyo-3 and the Lake at Dawn as Seen from the Rooftop of the Artist's Apartment Complex. He smiled to himself, he should think of a better title for it. As it was, two more weeks and he would be done.

"Nice, fucking nice," Juno said as she walked up to him with two mugs, one of coffee and the other had chocolate. She handed him the chocolate. "So, thought up a better title yet for the li'l bugger?"

"Nope," Henri cheerfully replied as he gave a final stroke before he stopped for the day since it was technically no longer dawn.

"You do know that you could take a camera and take a picture of the damned sunrise and then just paint off the fucker."

Henri wasn't visibly bothered by the girl's coarse language. Sure it was hard to understand her Japanese due to her English accent but he thought it was cute. "It wouldn't be the same."

Juno just gave a derisive snort as Henri packed his tools.

"Where's Allen?" Henri said in between blowing into his mug to cool it down.

"Probably still asleep."

"Ah, he never was a morning person." Henri said with a smile as he closed his case of paints with a free hand.

000

A fourteen-year old boy with long unkempt brown hair lay tangled in his bed sheets as he stared at the white expanse of the ceiling. He was alone once again...

His eyebrows met in a frown and a burning rage seethed in his eyes. His breathing came fast and hard as his fingers clutched at the sheets with enough force to rip them.

It would be almost two years since he lost everything. When the Eighteenth Incident destroyed his childhood. He remembered the pain, the restless nights of tears, the emptiness of the heart. When the men in black came to the orphanage to take him he didn't even resist. When they had told him what they wanted he agreed without any complaints. They just thought that he was broken by his mother's death. They were wrong, because by that time he had already planned his destiny.

All he had to do was control his anger, not to allow it to unmask his true intentions until it was too late. Then... then they would all pay.

He shook his head as he sat up. He had to find his friends. He can wait for justice, he's just fourteen, still young enough to be patient. He grinned.

000

Maya Ibuki, Project-E Director, slowly brushed her shoulder-length hair back with one hand. She glared at the monitors before her with blood-shot eyes. With a huff she leaned back on her high-backed chair and closed her eyes. It was nice to have her own office, she could sleep without anyone walking in on her.

She thought back on the past few days she had worked over-time to make up for her absence from the control theater during the attack. Her family had evacuated to a nearby shelter after the defense guns went off since her husband didn't want to risk getting hit by friendly fire.

Thankfully her backlog of work was finally done and the various reports and papers had been passed on to the concerned departments. She had forgotten how much paperwork the base generated after an Incident. At least she has a few hours to herself before she had to start on the next project. "Damn." She whispered as she pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve the tension.

She gave a yelp as someone tilted her chair back.

"Makoto!?" she looked up at the familiar bespectacled face looming above her own.

"Hi. I thought you might need something," Makoto smiled at her as he placed a sleeping baby in her arms. "Her nanny spends more time with her than her mother."

"I could say the same thing about her father," she retorted as she cradled her baby.

"I don't spend that much time with her nanny."

Maya glared at her husband. After a few more moments they finally broke into soft laughter.

"So, did the Commander rip your head off yet?" Maya asked as she rubbed her daughter's nose. The baby sleepily shrugged off the offending finger, an action that made the mother smile.

Colonel Makoto Hyuga, First Branch Vice-Commander, made his way to the coffee maker and poured some into a mug. "Actually, I found it weird that all he said was not to do it again."

They shared a silent moment as Maya slowly ran her finger over her daughter's face.

"Rit-chan," she whispered the baby's name. She already had a picture in her mind of their daughter all grown up. How she would show off her grades, pick out a prom dress together, tell her mother of her love interests. They would do all the things a mother and daughter would do.

But.

The world was so unforgiving. She worked for an organization which performed a necessary evil. To prevent the Angels from performing their task. The Angels have returned for one of their own. And to render justice on a sinful world.

Makoto didn't need to ask as his wife's tears fell on their sleeping daughter.

000

A basket of flowers sat on a table where Yuriko Suzuhara had laid her chin on her crossed arms. Her eyes stared at the light that played off the delicate petals. Admittedly, she had little appreciation for the feminine arts since she had lived with men all of her life as her mother had died when she was young.

She was really bored. She looked over where her brother lay asleep in a coma. She knew she should be thankful that he passed out, since it saved him from being corrupted by the Angel. What she wasn't thankful for was the fact that she had to go visit him since she hated hospitals with a vengeance.

She glanced over where Kensuke was busy with his laptop and a phone jack. She blinked. "Hey, are you going to hack into MAGI again?"

Kensuke grinned mischievously at her. "Would I do something illegal?"

Yuri thought that that didn't need a reply and she left him alone as the lights on the flower petals once more absorbed her. The clicks of the laptop's keys served as counterpoint to the beeps of the life monitors.

Time passed and Kensuke paused after he opened a file. He read the file once more and a quirky smile came onto his face. He glanced up as he heard the even, heavy breathing of the girl slumped at the bedside table.

He made his way to the foot of Toji's bed and leaned on the bars. "Hey, guess what I found out."

000

Asuka wearily sat on a bench and placed her bags on either side of her. She draped her arms over the backrest and glared with a grumpy pout on her face at the couples that walked past her. Some people even had the audacity to look back at her as if to ask her what her problem was.

She knew exactly what was wrong: they were happy and she was not. It was a free world! She fought for the right to act grumpy and unhappy, goddamnit! Now, bug off!

She exhaled in frustration. She thought shopping would've taken the edge off, but instead the depression cut deeper since she didn't have a friend nearby. She looked up at the lake that sparkled with sunlight.

_'in my heart of hearts I know that I could never love again,' _Asuka paused as she finally heard what she was singing.

_' Great__. I'm singing sappy songs...'_

000

Henri, Juno, and Allen sat at a food cart in the park. The smell of noodles and dimsum permeated the air around the Children. Conversation was non-existent as the friends busied themselves with their lunch.

A flash of red. Henri looked up and gazed past the vendor who was too busy polishing his cart with a damp rag.

"Er, isn't that the Chief Pilot?" Henri pointed to the teenager who sat on a bench with a faraway look in her eyes, the girl's lips moved as she sang softly to herself.

"Oh, God. It's the Bitch." Allen muttered under his breath. His chopsticks broke in his grip as he tried to control his anger. Of all the parks that surrounded the Fourth Ashino Lake, she had to choose the one the rookies always went to.

"She looks lonely," Henri said softly as he decided to let it go at that. He remembered that Allen's mother died during the Eighteenth Incident.

Juno slurped up a mouthful of noodles and chewed it while she looked at their Chief. She cocked an eyebrow as she remembered the things she heard around the base and the name on the locker Asuka was using. "Eh, the Bitch probably misses someone."

"Someone?" both boys wondered out aloud, one thought it impossible for the girl to actually have a heart to love with, the other was innocently curious as to what kind of person could capture the heart of such a ... mercurial girl.

"Well," Juno dropped her voice to a whisper, and both boys leaned in closer to hear. "They say that the guy left her two fucking years ago without even saying goodbye. It was some sort of bloody love-hate relationship especially near the end. She and the boy had been living together, see, and sometimes the boy goes to class with bruises."

"S&M or is she into battering her boyfriend?" Allen remarked dryly as he picked at his noodles.

"Probably battery. It is her Royal Bitch Queen we're talking about," Juno grinned at the alias she had often heard muttered around the base. "Anyway, the weird fact was that they weren't really into an official fucking relationship."

Henri scratched his head. "Living together? Wait, doesn't the Chief live with--"

Allen and Juno looked at Henri whose face had turned pale and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Henri's eyes shot wide open in horror. He screamed as he fell from his seat onto the paved walkways, he clutched his head as if it would stop the pain that pounded in his head. He closed his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks as his body began to convulse. Allen and Juno quickly stood up from the bench in front of the cart and knelt by their friend in helplessness. The noodle vendor was already screamed for someone to call the paramedics while a crowd began to gather around the disturbance.

"Henri! What's wrong?! Fuck it! Answer me!" Juno screamed hysterically as she shook her friend by the shoulder. Allen just bit his lower lip, his hands clenched into fists, his nails drew blood from his palms.

Behind his tightly closed eyelids, Henri's dark eyes turned the color of blood.

A man, a woman, a young girl. His family. Father. Mother. Sister. Who are they?

**LIE**

A ruin. A church. Birds flying. A two-story house with shingled roof. His hometown?

**LIE**

A dark haired boy. Sadness. Embarrassment. Empathy?

**TRUTH**

An EVA crucified on a red cross. White. Naked. No. Not EVA. Angel?

**TRUTH**

A demon the color of purple.

Henri screamed as his eyes turned back to dark.

"Hold him down." Juno and Allen looked up at the self-proclaimed goddess of EVA, Asuka Langley Soryu.

"Don't just sit there!" Asuka screamed in annoyance at Juno and Allen who immediately snapped to action. Juno straddled the boy's chest and pinned down Henri's shoulders with her knees while Allen held down his legs. Henri screamed in pain and his eyes shot open once more. Juno wedged the side of her forearm into his mouth to keep him from choking on his tongue. She clenched her teeth in pain as he bit down on her flesh.

Asuka nodded approval to their actions, quickly knelt beside them, and unzipped a small bag on Henri's belt. She took out a syringe and a small vial of clear liquid. Allen and Juno just watched in wonder as Asuka applied the medication to their friend.

Henri's eyes slowly glazed over and his convulsions gradually stopped. He felt relief as darkness engulfed him.

A little while later Asuka sat at the cart with Juno and Allen while the paramedics checked Henri who tried to convince them that he was fine. Juno's arm was bandaged, and she wryly thought that she would feel the pain for days to come.

"You two are his friends, right?" Asuka stated in her "I'm-going-to-point-out-how-stupid-you-are" voice. The two just nodded guiltily since they felt it was their fault for not bothering about Henri's health. Asuka who wasn't even their friend had actually bothered to check up Henri's medical records. Sure it was because it was part of her responsibility as the team leader, but it still stung that she knew how to handle a situation Henri's friends didn't.

"Hey, mister, one glass of sake," Asuka said to the noodle vendor and flashed her ID. The vendor saw the NERV logo and gave her what she ordered. Allen and Juno watched as Asuka gulped down the alcohol.

"Phaaaaaah Kwaaaaaah!!" Asuka gave a more demure Misato-after-beer scream. She had a smug expression on her face, content with the afterglow of the alcohol.

The two Children just stared at her in disbelief, their mouths agape. The noodle vendor chose to ignore that display and devoted his attention to his noodle bowls. It was a widely accepted policy to leave the NERV personnel to their eccentricities.

"Not bad," Asuka noted as she lay down some money on the cart's surface.

Henri finally joined them after thanking the paramedics for their trouble.

"Hey, you three," Asuka said as she stood up and took her packages. Allen, Henri, and Juno looked attentively at her. She had a sad look in her eyes as she returned their gaze, her face still flushed from the alcohol. "Friendship's an important thing, don't go and waste it."

"Not like I did," she said more quietly to herself. She felt sad and lonely. "Well, that's all. See you." Asuka turned away and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"Um, Ms. Asuka, would you like to join us for dinner? I'd like to thank you for helping me." Asuka turned back to see Henri bow to her. Juno and Allen exchanged a quick look then also bowed.

Asuka thought it was touching.

000

Hikari watched the beams of sunlight that streamed into the geofront from the skylights. She stood by a picture window in the empty lounge, her arm crossed under her breasts. She wore the female pilot uniform of white sleeveless collared shirt, black mid-thigh skirt, white leggings, and black ankle boots. Her red jacket was draped on a nearby chair.

She could feel the weight of her gun on her thigh from where it hung from her belt. How she hated that feeling.

She could think of a hundred lives she could have outside EVA. A doctor, a teacher, Hell, even a housewife. But she had to fall for one of the Children. She had to follow him even after he demanded that she didn't, after he threatened to break up with her if she did. She persevered; she overcame everything to be with him.

She even killed to be with him.

Her body shook with repressed emotions. She loved him so much. And yet the price she had to pay... She could count the nights she didn't have nightmares. She could handle the cost whenever he was with her but now...

She almost lost him again. She felt her heart being wrenched by his screams. This was too much. They were just children. No one was supposed to feel this much pain. She wanted to be with him, to feel his arms comfort her.

But even now she had to pay the price to be with him.

000

Yuri woke up on the couch, a jacket was draped over her body. She could hear the rhythmic beeps of the life monitors over the chirps of the cicadas. She sat up and Kensuke's jacket fell to the floor.

She blinked in the light of the afternoon sun.

Kensuke stood by the window as he gazed out at the expanse of Tokyo-3. He had a wistful smile on his face. He turned towards her, the smile still there. Yuri was taken back a bit. It had been too long since she last saw Kensuke give a genuine smile of happiness.

"Visiting hours are over," he said as he came over to take his jacket.

She just nodded as she stood up and bowed good-bye to her brother.

As they walked down the corridors she can't help but notice that Kensuke still seemed happy even if he no longer smiled. "Um. Sir?"

"Eh, Yuri?"

"You seem happy, Sir."

She flinched as he mussed her hair. He grinned at her reaction. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Why?"

"I was thinking of an old friend."

They walked in silence as Kensuke refrained from speaking anymore, the smile had returned to his face.

000

Misato strode through Heaven's Gate which guarded Terminal Dogma. Tanks and armored personnel carriers guarded the opened blast doors. There was no longer any need for secrecy and the utmost need for security as the facility's existence was already known.

Misato placed her hands on her hips and scanned the armored cavern. The ceiling was more than several hundred meters above her, and below the catwalk where she stood was a sea of LCL. On the far end of the catwalk was an enormous mountain of Carbon Bakelite, parts of what looked like a huge red cross were visibly sticking out of it.

Scaffolding was being erected around the mass of crystalline matter for the rescue of Unit 01. Drilling and excavation machinery were being moved into position. On one of the scaffolding levels she found the person she was looking for, Dr. Maya Ibuki.

The clanging of the technicians became louder as Misato neared Maya. She noticed that Maya's eyes had dark rings from lack of sleep and were puffy from crying. Misato's heart cried out for the younger woman. She knew that the woman had been put to a lot of strain lately and that she was somehow guilty of adding to that strain.

"So they're going to reactivate it, aren't they?" Misato said conversationally as she joined Maya. She did not want to intimidate Maya by voicing out her objections immediately. Misato followed Maya's gaze into the opaque mass. She could make out the two figures within, NERV's crucified ward, the first Angel: Adam. And the second figure: its attacker, a purple and blue beast of Hell; Unit 01. Misato focused on the beast, as did Maya.

Evangelion Unit 01 had been responsible for the destruction of most of the Angels of the "First Wave", as they were now being called. During the Eighteenth Incident, it had entered Terminal Dogma and had tried to do what the Angels had failed to do: initiate Third Impact.

Misato looked at Unit 01 with horror and gratitude. She felt gratitude because of the number of times it had saved her life and the whole human race. She thought of the only person that Unit 01 would allow to board her, a sensitive boy who had captured the hearts of his co-workers.

"Do you think he'll pilot it again?" Maya inquired. Part of her was hoping that he would save the world again, and part of her sad that she would want to cause the young boy so much pain.

"No." Misato said, sadness coming to her eyes at the memory of the boy. "I hope not. He's been hurt enough."

000

The girl turned off the rental car's engine and walked down the long path towards the farmhouse. She could hear the sorrowful notes of a cello waft in the afternoon breeze. The smell of freshly watered earth surrounded her as she walked through the rows of vegetables and flowers. Near the house was a lovingly tended patch of watermelons and on the porch, and sitting on a wicker chair was the person she had came to visit.

The young man was about her age. Strands of his black hair waved gently in the breeze as he concentrated on the piece he played. His eyes were closed and his face was composed in peaceful sadness.

The young man finished his piece and was surprised to hear someone clapping. He opened his midnight blue eyes to see a girl who smiled at him, the waning sunlight streamed from behind her giving her an ethereal aura. His heart leapt in joy before he remembered. She wasn't the one he had loved, that girl had died to save him. He turned away as the happiness in his heart died.

The girl felt sad that she couldn't be whom he wanted her to be. Another girl with her face. Another girl with her name. Another girl who was also called Rei.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Misato (shouting): Rei's WHAT?! She's eloping?! AAARGH!! And I can't believe I'm still single!! Then past Heaven's Gate into Terminal Dogma for the awakening of the Beast! Heaven and Hell 0:4 A Prodigal Son! Asuka! Get me a beer!

Original Author's Notes:

'Kuso. After reading the reviews I really got to thinking. Why the Hell do I care about my reviewers and readers enough to keep editing this piece? I mean I did write this almost three years ago. I just did this for fun.

Sadly enough, I do care. I appreciate the people who actually go to the trouble of trying to help weekend writers like me develop the Art. As to why I do care? Does it really matter?

So, instead of just editing my original work I decided to base the following chapters on them and shelve the originals. Starting from scratch is hard, but I do enjoy writing - so what the Hell, as long as it's going to make me a better writer. Language barrier be damned.

For this chapter I'm brought out my chainsaw and rearranged this little episode into something better (or so I hope).

Wish me luck.

BTW The sound I'll be using for Misato's trademark cheer is from Literal Translations (www.yk.rim.or.jp/wadakun/trans/). I like their transcription of it the best.

Thanks to all the authors. Till next time to the readers. And to all the reviewers, congratulations.

EoAN


	4. A Prodigal Son

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:4 - A Prodigal Son

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:4 - A Prodigal Son**

Misato slid the dining room door open. She looked terrible in her rumpled white tank top and very short, frayed cut-off jeans, and her hair was tied into an untidy ponytail. She gave a wide yawn and scratched her belly, which reinforced the image of a grumpy hung-over spinster.

"Good morning everybody," she sleepily mumbled to the three people she knew were in the room. Asuka, Rei, and Pen-Pen (their penguin housemate, Misato's pet and oftentimes guardian). She took a cold beer from the fridge and took three swallows to empty the can.

"Phaaaaaah Kwaaaaaah!!" My dear life! Now that's what I call a wake up drink!" Misato perkily cried out, now more awake after her morning beer. She looked at the usual morning faces of her housemates. Pen-Pen's indifferent look with one red feathery eyebrow (or whatever it was called) arched, Asuka's look of disgust at her childish behavior and Rei's -- Misato blinked. Rei was not at the kitchen table.

"Don't tell me that Rei's still asleep," the Colonel remarked as she carefully added the now empty can to the fastidiously arranged installation art by the fridge. In other words, she chucked the can at the overflowing box destined for the recycling center. Misato took another beer from the fridge in order to get her daily minimum allowance of the elixir of life.

"Oh, don't worry, she didn't oversleep," Asuka raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. "Fact is, her bed was unslept in."

"Oh, is that all?" Misato mumbled as she drank her beer at a more leisurely pace. Asuka raised an eyebrow questioningly and began counting slowly, she had gotten to four before Misato sprayed beer all over the floor. "WHAT?!"

"It was probably one hot date for Rei to forget coming home," Asuka said with a knowing wink at the older woman. It was fun messing with Misato's head so early in the morning.

Misato visibly paled as images of Rei doing unspeakable acts with an unknown boy rushed into her head. The threat to her ward's safety had shocked her into wakefulness better than any cup of coffee.

"Nonononono! Oh, God! Forgive me for not watching her closer!" Misato raved, frantically tearing at her hair. "My God! What if she gets pregnant! She's still too young! What if- WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING! Rei's not like that!" Misato glared at Asuka, who was watching her in amusement. "AS-KA!!"

"Really, Misato. You're acting like a hysterical mother now. Tsk, tsk. What would Dr. Akagi say if she finds out?" Asuka teased, wagging her finger at the older woman before changing to a serious tone. "However, I'm not joking, Rei said she was going out on a date yesterday, never heard from her since," she took a worried bite of her toast.

"Damn! I wonder who it is? Could it be one of the new boys?" Misato growled before taking an angry swig from her beer.

"Nah. Allen and Henri were with the Juno and me most of yesterday. Hell, we even went to the karaoke club. Besides, I don't think Rei likes younger boys," Asuka said thoughtfully as she absent-mindedly nibbled on her toast.

"Do you know somebody she likes?" Misato said as she threw away the can and took another one. She was seriously pondering calling for the Security Section.

"No, not really. I didn't think she was that interested in boys," Asuka mused out loud as she scratched Pen-Pen's head. "Except for one," Asuka added so quietly that Misato didn't notice. Asuka wondered if the two were able to keep in touch, a thought that somehow made her jealous, but jealous of what? Rei had made it clear where she stands on the matter during one of their games.

They all froze as they heard the main-door lock click open followed by a casually shouted "I am home" from Rei. They all rushed to the foyer with Pen-Pen in the lead. Misato was fuming at what she believed was gross irresponsibility on Rei's part. Asuka was curious as to what had happened to her friend and roommate. Pen-pen was just glad that his favorite person was home.

"Where have you been young lady?!" Misato yelled as she rounded the corner to see Rei talking with a boy whose back was turned towards her. He was carrying a blue overnight bag and Misato quickly assumed that they were going to elope. "And you young man!" She said as she grabbed his shirt and angrily spun him around to face her.

Misato was surprised at who the boy was, her grip on the boy's shirt gradually loosened. She stared at the familiar face, her mouth agape. Then recovering her composure, she hugged the boy tightly as tears streaked down her cheeks.

Asuka stood a few steps behind Misato looking at the boy's flushed face. He had grown taller and was nearly eye-to-eye with Misato and just slightly shorter than Asuka herself. His features had become sharper, more mature as he lost the soft curves of his face. His eyes were still the same, those soulful, deep blue eyes of his which invited her to lose herself in them. However his eyes no longer held any hint of an innocent child but were completely those of a tortured teenager. His black hair was a bit longer to the point of being unkempt, his bangs were long enough to reach to just below his eyes. His tall frame was still a little slouched but was also more slightly built than when they last met. The sickly paleness of his skin was gone, replaced by a healthy tan. A part of her felt thankful that he took after his mother, Asuka couldn't imagine him looking like Commander Ikari..

_'Something's different... He's gotten past cute-- he's handsome,'_ Asuka finally conceded, somehow pleased. He was no longer a cute kid but rather fitted what the Japanese call "bishonen", a beautiful man. She crossed her arms and leaned back on a wall, content on watching them.

Rei looked at Misato and Shinji, a sense of accomplishment made her smile. She looked down and saw Pen-pen look up at her. Rei bent down and scooped him up in her arms.

Misato and the boy separated, looking sheepishly at each other. Moments of embarrassed silence followed before they remembered their old ritual.

"I'm home," the boy said, nostalgia in his voice.

"Welcome home," she said.

"Waark!" Pen-pen greeted from within Rei's embrace. Rei smiled warmly at Shinji as if to say that everything was all right. But then-

"Asuka." The name slipped from Shinji's lips and he felt cold as he looked past Misato and saw the indifferent girl leaning on the wall.

"You're back, Stupid Shinji," was all she said before she turned on her heels and went back into the kitchen.

000

**Terminal Dogma**

"Is everything ready, Vice-Commander?" Commander Santiago said as he viewed the preparations to separate the Angel and Unit-01. They were in the relative silence of the armored control room in a prefabricated module which was perched on top of some scaffolding erected between the cross and Heaven's Gate. Outside, the noise was almost unbearable as the machinery and personnel of the Technical Department prepared to perform the delicate operation.

"Awaiting your orders, Sir," Col. Makoto Hyuga replied as he surveyed the men going about the preparations. If something happened, they may lose everything. As Vice-Commander, he knew it wasn't going to fall on his shoulders (especially since he wouldn't be alive by then). But being in such close proximity to possible death did little to lessen the anxiety of dying, no matter whose fault it was. The sad truth about having something to live for is that people lose the courage to die.

"Begin." The control officers acknowledged the order and relayed it to the waiting technicians.

Makoto felt a reassuring squeeze on his arm and turned his head to see his wife smile at him. He smiled back weakly as the machines started to chip away at the Carbon Bakelite as soon as the commander gave the word.

"Pilots, stay alert," Misato reminded the EVA pilots for the umpteenth time. The two units, one red and the other white with red highlights, were standing knee deep in the LCL. Huge non-lethal (at least to an EVA or Angel) electro-shock prods were held ready, instead of the progressive lance that was the current close-in weapon of the EVAs. The prod was capable of releasing an electric shock that could fry a lake full of wallowing elephants but will theoretically have enough power to stun an Angel or an EVA. They had to be careful not to destroy Adam, knowing fully well that if they accidentally destroy Adam, all was lost as Adam would release enough energy to destroy the world - the dreaded Third Impact.

Misato knew that most of what they told her about Adam were lies but she didn't feel like finding out the truth the hard way. And that was why she was feeling a little strung out at the moment.

000

Yuri heard Asuka humming a sad song over the communications channel. It was the same song she had been humming for nearly half an hour. The tune aggrieved Yuri's irritation. For some reason, she had been cranky all morning. She felt like she wanted to bash something and there was this nagging ache in her belly.

Yuri wondered why Asuka seemed to be in a sad mood. Pensiveness was a mood she had never seen Asuka in before. Eh, but what does she care about the Red Headed Devil anyway?

Yuri decided to ignore the older pilot and think of something else to pass the time. She thought of her brother. She had left the hospital in an irritated mood, comforted only by the fact that Hikari and Aida were there to watch over Toji. Hikari had that sad puppy look in her eyes that Yuri somehow found distressing. Everyone knew Toji and Hikari were an item but it still galled the younger Suzuhara that the two were still not happy. In fact, the very relationship seems to have caused more trouble than it was worth. If Hikari had not wanted to be with Toji she wouldn't feel so guilty about killing all those people, if she hadn't been in love with Toji she wouldn't feel so helpless as he was attacked by the Angel. And they say love conquers all. Bullshit. Yuri shook her head and resolved never to fall in love.

Yuri cursed under her breath. Now, she too felt depressed.

000

"Commander Santiago," Santiago and the others turned to see a uniformed Rei enter with a young man who had black hair. He wore a plain blue shirt, black pants and a pair of battered sneakers. He held a large paper bag to his chest with both hands. Rei introduced him. "The pilot of Unit 01, Shinji Ikari."

Santiago nodded in acknowledgement; his eyes took measure of the boy. He finally gave a smirk that made Shinji feel as if he failed the man's expectations. The boy gave a sigh of relief as the Commander returned to watching the operation.

Maya and Makoto smiled sympathetically at the young man before returning to their duties. They knew the look Santiago gave him from personal experience.

"Did you get your stuff?" Misato turned to face him, her eyes however remained on the scaffolding outside. Her voice was cold and distant which meant that she was really worried.

Shinji raised the bag which contained his new plugsuit, two pairs of white cranial transmitters, three different sets of uniforms, the new NERV S.O.P. manual, his new ID card, a new cell-phone, a pistol, two spare clips, and a box with a hundred rounds of ammo. He had been a little uneasy about the gun but Rei had insisted that he take it, saying that it was a very dangerous world out there for people like them. He remembered the death threats he had received while living on the farm and reluctantly took the gun.

Sighing at the stupidity that makes people threaten those who would save them, Shinji went nearer to the window and stared, lost in memories as Unit 01's purple and blue form began to emerge from the Carbon Bakelite.

Shinji felt the flashbacks as memory took him back to the last time he piloted Unit 01. His pulse quickened and his hand clenched and unclenched in agitation. He could smell the blood and hear the screams and gunshots. Then he remembered his sin.

During the Eighteenth Incident, he had lost control, of himself and Unit 01. In his rage in being used by SEELE and his father, he allowed unit 01 to take control. If it weren't for Rei, he would have never regained his mind.

Shinji looked at Rei and found that she was also looking at him. She smiled at him and he returned the smile, the tension left him for the moment.

000

Asuka looked at the screen that showed Rei and Shinji talking, she frowned and the image expanded as she willed one of her cameras to zoom in. A slight frown was on her face as she observed the two teenagers talk casually. She was a little irritated that he had been so dense. If only he had followed her into the kitchen she would have shown him what she really felt. Two years she waited... She angrily pressed her communicator button. It seemed like she would have to take the initiative... again.

"Third Children." A mini-screen opened up on the observation window, it showed Asuka who had an angry frown. She didn't yell but rather called out in a normal speaking voice. But it still had the same effect on Shinji as if she had used a loudspeaker.

"Y-yes, Asuka," Shinji was worried. She had used the tone that made him want to hide in his room and set his SDAT player's volume to max. Rei stepped back and away from Shinji. _'Traitor,'_ he thought to himself.

"I will talk to you later."

"Y-yes." The mini-screen blinked out and Shinji gave a visible sigh of relief. He turned and noticed that a lot of people had been paying attention to the one-sided conversation. He blushed as he realized some of the female staff were giggling. He looked at the EVAs in order to ignore the whispered comments behind his back. He felt uncomfortable looking at Asuka's EVA so he looked at the white EVA with red trimmings.

000

What was that all about? Yuri thought. She turned to look at the control room and zoomed her camera at the young man she somehow vaguely remembered. The young man looked at her direction, she felt as if he were looking directly at her instead of her EVA. Then he saw the young man turn to someone. Rei come to stand beside him and Yuri immediately lost interest.

000

"Toji's little sister?" Shinji said in disbelief before chuckling to himself. "I suddenly feel so old."

"We are of the same age," Rei said, not knowing what he meant.

"Never mind." Shinji smiled kindly at her. He saw her smile in return and it seemed that everything was all right. She had a beautiful smile that enhanced her delicate beauty. Shinji thought it was one of the most breath-taking sights he had ever seen.

Rei's smile abruptly disappeared and her eyes gained a hard edge as she looked past him. He turned towards the window, worried by her reaction. He wondered what was wrong when he suddenly felt it.

The alarm sirens began going off and red warning signs filled the window's mini-screens. Outside, the mountain of Carbon Bakelite began sprouting spider webs of cracks with loud sharp snaps. The technicians hurriedly abandoned their posts, screaming and running along the catwalks and some even jumped into the LCL in panic as they were consumed by the fear for which the AT Field was named after.

"ADAM HAS AWAKENED!! EVACUATE!!" Maya cried out as she read the displays, panic built up inside her as the AT Field made its presence felt even in the armored room. "This is not possible!!" she thought numbly. She felt Makoto's presence behind her and the panic subsided ever so slightly.

"Prepare to deploy the Bakelite when all personnel are clear," Santiago said, his voice loud and clear. Shinji looked at him as the fear started to take effect within him. Santiago was calmly giving orders while all Hell broke loose around him. Shinji remembered his father and he suppressed the tears. Shinji felt someone hold his hand and he turned to see Rei beside him smiling comfortingly. Misato glanced at the Shinji before focusing her attention at the crisis at hand. She activated her headset.

Asuka made her EVA stoop down to help the technicians get away. She scooped up the technicians swimming in the LCL and gently brought them to the catwalk. She didn't forget about Adam and kept one eye on the Angel, the prod ready in one hand.

Yuri didn't know what to do but place herself between the cross and Unit 02, which was helping the technicians escape. Unit 40 crouched low, the prod pointed at the Angel.

Yuri felt something tingling at the back of her mind, it was trying to tell her something. There was a sudden sharp crack, then the partly liberated Unit 01 was hurled towards her. Yuri didn't have time to dodge and the purple EVA crashed into her, sending her own EVA flying off its feet. Yuri screamed as Unit 40 fell back against the control room, the scream of bending metal filling the air.

Asuka heard the crack as the Bakelite shattered and she heard Yuri scream over the sound of the crashing EVAs. Asuka raised her head to see Adam for the second time in her life. Bakelite fragments and ruined scaffolding were falling away from the Angel to splash into the LCL. It had damaged its left hand from tearing free of the cross, the right hand was still nailed. The Angel's body shuddered in pain. It looked at her with its seven eyes and once again she felt sorrow for it.

"I'm really sorry," Asuka said as she charged at the crucified Angel, and she meant it. She pushed the prod into the Angel, energy crackled as the tip met the angelic matter. Asuka heard its high-pitched bestial scream.

"NOW! FREEZE IT!" Asuka yelled as she tried to pin the Angel to the cross.

"ALL PERSONNEL ARE CLEAR!!" Lt. Corrie Hayes cried out, blood streaked his face where flying bits of glass had cut him.

"DEPLOYING BAKELITE!!" Maya screamed as she brought her fist down to shatter the glass covering the activation button. She winced in pain and briefly wondered how Dr. Ritsuko Akagi could do it without ever injuring her hand.

The control room was in disarray from Unit 40's impact, glass fragments and assorted pieces of paper littered the floor. The prefab module was tilted at an angle because one of the support pillars had bent under Unit 40's weight. Misato was holding onto Lt. Hayes' chair, which was bolted to the floor, and tried to peer out through the cracked armor glass.

Shinji sat on the floor his arms wrapped protectively around an unconscious Rei. She had hit her head on the edge of one the tables and blood flowed from her forehead. Shinji looked down at her with concern, he remembered when he had met the first Rei and remembered when he had lost her. Shinji tried to staunch the bleeding with his hand.

000

Yuri felt like she was underwater, she opened her eyes and saw a huge purple face looking at her. She screamed in panic before she realized it was Unit 01. God, it's ugly, she thought. She made her EVA to push it off itself.

Unit 01's eyes suddenly blazed white then just as suddenly dimmed. Yuri felt her heart skip a beat. She knew it wasn't supposed to that, in fear she pushed it off her EVA and hurriedly made Unit 40 stand up. Yuri stared at Unit 01, which was still partly submerged in the LCL by Unit 40's feet. She half-expected the un-piloted EVA to rise up and grapple with her.

Terminal Dogma echoed with a high pitched scream. Yuri looked up at the sound and saw Unit 02 pinning what looked like an unarmored EVA to the cross with it's prod as bakelite sprayed over Unit 02's enemy from nozzles on the wall behind the cross. One of the enemy's hands seemed to be nailed to the cross and its legs were still encased in bakelite. It had gripped the prod with its ruined hand and was trying to push it away in vain.

Yuri watched in horror as the Angel tore its other hand off in the struggle. The LCL began to turn red as the Angel's blood sprayed from the stump of its right wrist. Adam, now free from the cross, began to fall forward on top of Unit 02.

"YURI!! GET YOUR PROD AND HELP ME!" Asuka yelled at the confused girl. Yuri, focused on her orders and disregarded everything else as she had been trained to do. Yuri groped for the prod in the LCL and once she found it, she rushed into the fray.

"ANTI-AT FIELD!!" Lt. Hayes cried out at the sudden reversal of the graphs he was monitoring. Misato glanced at the blond top of the young officer, hoping that he was wrong.

Asuka and Yuri froze, their eyes dilated as the Angel glowed. They felt fear as their EVAs' AT Fields were suddenly ripped apart. Adam gave a pushing motion with its hand and both EVAs went flying through the air and crashed into the armored walls of the cavern. Adam's eyes glowed and a blazing white cross rose from its body, hitting the cavern's roof and continued upwards to explode out into the geofront. Trees and packed earth rose in the air and rained down in the geofront from the powerful explosion. The final traces of carbon bakelite disintegrated from the Angel and it fell crouching into the LCL.

Asuka clenched her jaws as she tried to push back against the strongest AT Field she had ever felt. Unit 02 was visibly straining as it pushed itself up against the invisible force. Yuri and Unit 40 were worse off as both pilot and EVA were knocked out of commission.

Adam threw its chest out and its head back as it roared. Asuka's fear-fogged mind somehow wondered how something without a mouth roar like that. She gave a gasp as Adam's left hand and the stump of its right hand began bubbling. Fingers and flesh regenerated from the white mass as the Angel drew in LCL from the surrounding lake.

Adam stopped roaring, Asuka felt the AT Field lift as the Angel looked towards Heaven's Gate.

"Relief forces have arrived at Terminal Dogma! Awaiting orders, Sir!" Juno beamed at Asuka from a mini-screen.

"Juno! Henri! Allen!" Asuka cried out as she turned and saw the three EVAs standing by Heaven's Door. They all carried stun prods, but Allen also carried something that was long, red, and had two prongs. Asuka couldn't help but gasp at the familiar object that she feared, "Lancea Longini." The Lance of Longinus.

"ASUKA!" Allen yelled as he threw the prod to her, Asuka deftly caught it in her hand, a little thankful that he didn't threw the Lance.

"Allen remain in the AT Field neutralization zone. Asuka, Juno, Henri - knock it out." Misato's voice came through the comm links on sound-only mode.

"ROGER!" All four pilots replied.

000

Rei watched as the boy bent down to return the cello to its case. She knew it pained him to see her. She knew he had once had feelings for her. No. Not her, but the Rei who had sacrificed herself for him. To him, she and the Rei who died were two different people. And in a way, she knows he's right. But in a way he was also wrong. There's more to people and clones than DNA.

She went closer, the chirping of birds unusually loud in the awkward silence. She may not like doing what she was about to do, but she had to do it. It was for the thing that she lived for, for the thing that her predecessor had died for.

"What do you want?" Shinji said trying not to look at the girl. He had a feeling he knew what she wanted.

"Unit 01 is being reactivated." She said, now standing in front of him. She offered him a sealed brown envelope.

Shinji's head snapped up, the color draining from his face. He knew they wanted him to pilot an EVA. He didn't know they wanted him to pilot that specific EVA.

"No," he said softly, bowing his head once more. "I'm through with being used by others."

"The Angels have returned. We need you. Everyone would die if you don't save them," Rei stated.

"No," Shinji replied. He stared hard at the ground so that he did not have to look at her. This thing that had the face of someone he had loved. "Can't you people just leave me alone?! You've got more pilots and EVAs than you need! You didn't need me for the last two years and now you're telling me you need me? Well, I don't need you! Everyone can die for all I care!" His voice shook with the rush of emotions, his eyes bored into hers.

They stared at each other, his blue eyes blazed in anger, her red ones shone with an emotion that he did not know she could possess: sadness. Shinji broke eye contact and stared once more at the ground. That wasn't sadness. She couldn't possibly hold emotions. She was just a doll.

"Leave." He said in a tired voice as he picked up his cello and made to move into the house. "Leave me alone."

"But everything would be for nothing..." a tinge of desperation entered Rei's voice. Her knees felt weak. Humanity was going to be wiped out because she could not convince one boy of its importance.

"Please," she pleaded, "If I could pilot her I would, even though it may mean dying... but I cannot. Only you can... You're the only one..." Rei trailed off as it became apparent that she had failed. The envelope slipped from her fingers and she started to walk away, her body numb.

Shinji could feel his ears burning. This thing was trying to make him feel guilty by making him aware that she could die. He couldn't care less what ever happened to her-- he heard the muted sounds of crying.

Shinji looked up and saw Rei kneeling down on the ground, her shoulders shook as she tried to stop her sobs...Shinji blinked, she couldn't possibly cry for real... she's a clone. She's just a glorified doll... But is that true? He had seen Rei smile, felt her anger and most importantly, felt her concern. Had she not waited by his bedside when he was wounded? Yet she and this thing were made the same. Shinji bit his lower lip as he watched her crying in despair. He could feel the fear dissolve in the face of a realization: this was not a doll.

Shinji brow knitted and he did something that he rarely did: he made a decision...

Rei looked up as she felt someone gently brush her tears away with an index finger. Shinji knelt on the ground in font of her.

"Kaji once said that I still had something to do, something that only I can do," Shinji said, already knowing that he'll regret his decision.

Rei sniffed looking up at his eyes to see if he was just making a cruel joke but instead she saw the pain and the sadness. She sighed as she leaned her head on his chest, her sobs slowly quieting down.

Shinji smiled, painfully aware of his mistake. He rested his chin on the top of her head, somehow contented. Whatever misgivings he had about her humanity were blown away in the cool afternoon breeze.

Rei slowly opened her eyes and saw the bright fluorescent lights and clean white ceiling of a hospital room. It was her first time to see the ceiling of a hospital room in her current incarnation but she had memories of her predecessor's observations of hospital rooms, to which her predecessor had been a frequent visitor. Rei decided she agreed with her predecessor's feelings about hospitals. She too disliked them.

Rei heard faint breathing that she found was not hers. She turned her head and saw Shinji slumped on a chair, asleep. She saw that his shirt was splattered with blood and she began to worry. Did he get hurt during the incident? How badly? She calmed down as she determined that he was not wounded and the blood was most probably hers. She remembered Unit 40 falling backward and crashing into the control room. She remembered falling down before she blacked out. Rei touched her head and felt the soft cotton of the bandage.

"Well, it's good to see you're awake," Asuka said, startling Rei. Asuka had changed to a nice yellow dress before visiting Rei's hospital room. Asuka sat down on the bed beside Rei, her hair still damp from the shower. "You had us worrying, you know," Asuka said, reproach in her voice.

"I am sorry." Rei said, feeling guilty that she worried her friend.

"Stupid! It's not your fault," Asuka scolded as she saw Rei's gloomy face. Asuka hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt."

"Oh," Rei exclaimed before pulling away from her friend. "You wanted to talk to him."

They both looked at the sleeping Shinji. Asuka looked mischievously at Rei.

"What did the two of you do last night?"

000

Santiago stood on a catwalk high above Unit 01's cage. He looked down with dispassionate eyes at the purple demon.

"The Committee will be calling for you." Makoto Hyuga stated from behind the Commander.

"It's about the facsimile, isn't it?" Santiago asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, it was too early to reveal its existence."

"I cannot conceal things from my tactical commander and expect her to perform efficiently, can I? We now have the Beast secured, and the final key is now in our hands. That is all that matters. What else is there to complain about?"

"They hate surprises. All the scenarios must play out as they planned it."

Santiago smirked. "That way of thinking got SEELE killed."

Colonel Hyuga didn't reply, his eyes focused on Unit 01, wondering for the umpteenth time if he had made the right decision. If Unit 01 knew the answer, it didn't tell.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Asuka: This is the me in my mind and this is the me in your mind. An exploration of the self and what drives us and our inner demons! Heaven and Hell 0:5 The Lives of Others.


	5. The Lives of Others

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:5 - The Lives of Others  
HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:5 - The Lives of Others**

**Female Pilot's Locker Room**

Juno stood under the stream of hot water that came from the showerhead, feeling relief as the LCL was washed from her body. With a sense of hesitation she turned off the shower and the relaxing stream ended. The pilot ran her fingers through her short red hair as the water ran off her body.

She grinned to herself. Showers always made her feel better.

Her head snapped up as she heard something that made the hairs on her nape stand on end. It was a moan full of despair. She whirled around and hastily wrapped her towel around her body. She pressed her back to the stall's wall, one hand went for the door lock while the other kept her towel steady. She listened intently. With a frown she flipped the lock open and dashed out of the stall towards the bench in the middle of the room where her backpack lay. She knelt on the wet floor as she rummaged in her bag. She gave a grunt of relief as her hand touched her contingency plan. She slung her bag on her shoulders as she loaded her gun.

_'No bastard's gonna get the fucking drop on this girl...'_

000

**EVA Cooling Pool  
Viability Evaluation: Evangelion Unit 01**

Colonel Misato Katsuragi yawned, setting off a series of yawns from the technicians and control officers gathered in the small control room. Dr. Ibuki glared at her while Col. Hyuga smiled sympathetically since if Misato hadn't yawned first, he would have done it for her.

"Sorry." Misato said in a tired voice. _'God, I don't think I can go to a bar tonight.' _she thought. They had been working for several hours since the final traces of Bakelite had been removed from Unit 01, making sure it was serviceable. She tried to hide the fact that she was deeply afraid of the thing they were keeping in Terminal Dogma. It had moved even though Ritsuko had reassured them it was technically dead before she left NERV.

_'It was a fortunate coincidence that we had a facsimile of the Lance just when we needed it... yeah, right it was a coincidence...'  _She thought sarcastically as she frowned at the beast. Someone or everyone was lying to her again and that means she'll have to do some discrete information gathering once more. Misato cursed to herself, she really hated the cloak and dagger stuff. _'Damn, and there's that stupid file in my office.'_

Maya gazed at Unit 01's face. If Yuri's statement was right, then they have nothing to fear, since it meant that Unit 01 was still capable of activation. It didn't bother her that Unit 01 activated by itself since that had already been an established occurrence, she was more worried that Adam was apparently in possession of a Soul. But then again the thing wasn't really Adam, and she knew exactly where its true Soul was hidden.

Makoto watched detachedly as the technicians checked out Unit 01 and made minor repairs. Unit 01, part of the final key. His conscience warred within and he wondered what made him any different than Ikari and SEELE in relying on man made gods for salvation. _'One must be ready to sacrifice all for one's beliefs...'_ he quoted from somewhere with a wry grin. Makoto wondered what he believed in anymore.

000

Juno could now clearly hear the sound of someone crying. It came from the locker area. She took a quick glance around the corner of the door and retreated to the shower room. She processed what she saw and it didn't look good.

Yuri's plugsuit lay on the floor with drops of blood trailing away from it. The girl herself was not visible, possibly hidden by the lockers. She remembered that Yuri had been last on line for debriefing and probably came into the locker room an hour after she did.

Taking a deep breath, Juno rushed towards the row of lockers from behind which the moans had come from.

"FREEZE MOTHERFUCKER!!" she cried out as she leveled her gun at the space between the lockers, the towel fell to her feet.

Yuri looked up from where she sat on the bench, bloody tissue littered the floor around her. She gave a quirky smile at the image of the naked girl who wore a backpack. She would have laughed but the older girl had serious look on her face and a gun in her hands. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes but only managed to smear blood on her face.

Juno looked around and finally deduced that the girl had not been attacked. Yuri was naked but didn't look hurt, only confused and scared. With the bloody tissue on the floor and the girl's age... _'Oh.'_ was the appropriate thought. She bent down, took her towel, and re-wrapped it around her. She returned her gun to her bag and rummaged in it.

"Here," Juno smiled sympathetically as she handed Yuri a small package. "It should handle it until we can get you your own supply."

Yuri accepted the package with a blush. Then more hesitantly she asked the necessary question: "How do you use it?"

Juno smiled once more in a warm, sisterly fashion.

000

**Combined Operations Command**

There was an air of tension in the control theater as Santiago had placed the whole base on Second Level alert. This meant that access to the base had been restricted and everyone rated for weapons carried them. The pilots on standby duty were moved from the lounge to the control center where there were a lot of people to watch over them. This also made sense since the hangars were closer by several dozen meters to the control center than the lounge.

The only effect this had on the pilots was to make them grumble that they didn't have a TV or a game console to pass the time since these would distract the control officers and technicians on duty. Thankfully, the pilots were adaptable and were making do with other things.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Allen punctuated each of Henri's moves. They were playing checkers and Allen was definitely not winning. Allen watched in despair as Henri took his last piece with a satisfied smile on his face.

Henri was about to console his friend when he stopped and looked pointedly at the command bridge, which towered behind Allen. Allen looked worriedly at Henri, afraid that his friend was suffering from another one of his attacks.

"What's the matter?" Allen asked, ready to call out to the medics just in case.

"The Commander was looking at us." Henri answered thoughtfully. Allen turned and looked at the command bridge. It was empty. Allen looked at Henri, an eyebrow raised.

"I swear. He was there," Henri replied defensively. "Funny though, he looked sad. Never saw him sad, you know. Brooding and grim, yes but never sad." Henri became thoughtful and Allen decided to let the matter slide as he set up the board again.

000

Shinji saw the Angel on the cross. Adam. The Angel of Death that brought about Second Impact. He willed his EVA closer, wading waist deep in the sea of LCL. His purpose clear as anger and despair broiled within him. Adam looked at him, each of the seven eyes showed pity. He could hear something splash in the LCL behind him. A screen came to life and Asuka shouted something at him, he drove all thoughts of her from his mind and focused on the crucified Angel. She was another reason to do this, he can't live to bear what he had done.

As he neared it, he saw a girl appear on the top of the cross, her short, blue hair blowing with the wind that entered from the ruined doors. She looked at his EVA, through it and directly at him. Her red eyes radiated sadness and-- Shinji bolted screaming to a sitting position as he escaped the nightmare.

Shinji breathed hard. He hated that nightmare. It reminded him of what he had almost done if it were not for Rei. He had left NERV because of his guilt and lived on the small farm he had asked Dr. Akagi to buy for him. He was content on living alone, away from everyone... away from pain.

He laid back on the bed and noticed that he was naked. A lightly tanned arm draped itself across his chest, and he looked over at the girl sleeping beside him. She was so beautiful, the way the moonlight flowed across her rosy cheeks and her slightly parted ruby lips. He smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her long golden red locks, then her closed eyes, then her red lips...

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled lovingly at him, drawing him closer into her arms. He took comfort in her reality, a forgiveness for the sins of the past.

He mumbled her name and ... Shinji woke up.

Shinji found himself confused and his back ached from sleeping on a chair. He hated waking up from a dream into another dream since it made him doubt what was real and what was not. But one thing he was sure of, he knew that the last dream was just a dream because it would never happen in real life. Asuka would never willingly do that with him. He shuddered at the memory of his sin, his palm rising to meet his face. He felt dirty for what he had done those years past, when a scared little boy went into a hospital room.

Shinji heard gentle giggling and he looked up. He saw Asuka and Rei sitting on the hospital bed; Asuka looked at him in amusement, while Rei's shy smile seemed to be tinged with concern. Shinji remembered his dream and pinched himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, but then again, since piloting the EVA he had started having vivid dreams so he still was not sure that he was really awake.

"Poor, poor Shinji," Asuka said in amusement as she shook her head. "This is no dream. You..." Asuka paused then gave a flourish with her hands to indicate herself and Rei "are in the presence of goddesses."

000

"Ready?" Juno said as she walked into the observation deck with Yuri in her trail.

Allen looked up from another losing game of checkers at Juno, silently thanking her for rescuing him from another embarrassing defeat. He and Henri noticed Yuri behind their friend and looked at Juno questioningly.

"Did you know she lives in the same building we do?" Juno asked. The boys shook their heads in unison, both wondering why the English girl's keeping her words free from her usual profanity. "Her father's working the night shift in the Research Department and she's all alone, so we're taking her home for a while. Her father has already given her permission to sleep over with us for a couple of days." Allen and Henri nodded without question, but both wondering why Juno seemed to have taken to the younger girl.

Henri waved good-bye to his friends before taking out a book from a bag by his feet. He looked at the clock and noted that he had several hours until Hikari comes in to relieve him.

The three children: Juno, Allen, and Yuri took an elevator that will take them up to the train depot of the Geofront. From there they will take a vertical train that will take them to the surface, more than a kilometer above their heads.

The elevator stopped at an upper level and a sleepy looking woman in a red jacket and black dress uniform climbed aboard. Involuntarily, the children stiffened to attention. Misato had excused herself from the Viability Evaluation of Unit 01 and was on her way home after Dr. Ibuki suggested that the Colonel needed her sleep. Besides, she wasn't really required to be there--

"Good evening, Colonel Katsuragi!" The three pilots said in chorus, startling Misato awake.

"Heh, heh, please, call me Misato, everybody does," Misato said, laughing nervously as she waved at them to ease off on the military protocol. Misato didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the seriousness of the children. They seem to grow old so fast...

"Um, are you going home? I could drive you home if you want," Misato offered, not wanting to endure another lonely drive home.

The three children looked at each other before nodding.

000

Shinji was confused as he trailed behind Asuka. Since leaving Rei's hospital room they had been silent. Asuka just looked at him with that familiar self-assured arrogance which he had missed since the Thirteenth Angel attack. This was the Asuka he remembered, full of self-confidence and energy, not the sickly husk of a girl he left behind two years ago. The reason he was confused was because he had been expecting a chewing out from the fiery redhead (or even a beating), not her declaration that he still owed her a dinner. He couldn't remember making her a promise to treat her to dinner.

And thus Invincible Shinji Ikari found himself in the remaining part of the commercial district owing dinner to Asuka Langley Soryu, who some call the Red Devil, and trying to find a decent place to eat that didn't serve Japanese food. The Second Children had vehemently declared that she was sick of eating the same thing everyday for the last three years since arriving in Japan. And thus the two found themselves in downtown Tokyo-3.

Shinji soon noticed that everywhere he looked he saw people moving in couples. He looked some more and noticed the romantic dinner places and the hotels... the teenager blinked then decided to drag his head out of the gutter.

"Um, Asuka?"

"Yes?" She replied a little irritated that she couldn't find a restaurant that was worthy of having her as a diner.

"When did I owe you dinner?"

Shinji nearly had a heart attack when she suddenly whirled on him, ending nearly nose to nose to each other. "You should be honored to be treating out the Great Asuka Langley Soryu, Third Children! Now be quiet!"

Shinji just sighed as he felt his limited supply of self-confidence disintegrate. He could face down Angels, living alone with his personal monsters, getting death threats from psychos, and other nasty things but he can't seem to retort to this -- this... he sighed, best not to go there. Besides he owes her something more than dinner.

"How 'bout here? The taste of home and real food," Asuka announced gripping her hands with a dreamy look in her eyes as they stopped before a German restaurant.

Shinji took a look at the menu displayed outside the restaurant's front. He stifled the urge to shudder as he saw the prices they were charging. He really didn't have any financial problems but it would be awkward to explain to his guardian where he spent the money. Dr. Akagi had taken to ribbing him about finding a girlfriend. He gave a wry smile as he remembered that he ought to call her and tell her where he was.

He glanced at Asuka and saw that she was looking at him expectantly. He sighed, why was she looking at him for approval? He knew that no matter what he said, Asuka's mind was already made up. He just nodded his assent since it was what was required of him.

Asuka's bright smile surprised him.

They heard the roar of a powerful engine and they both turned around on reflex as a blue car soared at their direction, Asuka's hand unconsciously going for her handbag as she edged forward to shield Shinji. They both blinked as they recognized the blue car that zoomed past. The wheels on the left side left the road as the car took a ninety-degree turn at speeds that were illegal in the city. Then it was gone.

"Wasn't that Misato?" They asked in unison.

000

Misato felt exhilarated. She loved driving, hearing the roar of her car's engine and the wind blowing in her hair and she could hear the children screaming in excitement from the back seat. Misato laughed, she felt so free, unfettered by responsibility, like a bird flying.

The children were screaming ... but not out of excitement. Those who had taken a ride with Misato during one of her mood swings could describe her either as a 'racer wannabe' or 'psycho'.

Yuri had already nearly died twice, well, thrice if she included the last Angel attack. But this car ride with Misato had her scared the most. She screamed and covered her face with her hands as they nearly missed a truck, which honked angrily at them.

Juno had taken on nearly all of the scariest roller coasters in the world. As she screamed in terror, a part of her joked that Misato could hand out tickets and make a killing, the other part of her was scared out of her pants. She pulled her seatbelt tighter as she screamed a stream of profanity into the air.

Allen had once flown a fighter jet with his mother. He had loved the adrenaline rush then, the gravity pulling at his guts as they flew at supersonic speed. His wavy brown hair tossed about as he screamed in delight. Unlike the girls, he was enjoying himself.

As they rounded a corner, they saw a familiar red headed girl with a boy with dark hair. They zoomed past the pair.

"Wasn't that Asuka?" they chorused before screaming again as they turned a corner.

000

Makoto rubbed his shoulder, trying to relieve the tension. He looked at himself in the restroom mirror and sighed. He splashed some water on his face and looked again. He wondered what made Maya decide to marry him as he looked at his reflection. He looked miserable.

He thought of his wife, Dr. Maya Ibuki. She finally got her doctorate after publishing her thesis on Bio-genetics and Humanity, one of the most widely acclaimed works of the century. She had devoted the last two years since the Eighteenth Incident to two things, her paper and Rit-chan, their little daughter. Makoto sometimes thought that she married him just to have an anchor, so that she wouldn't drift away.

He still felt a sense of rejection whenever he thinks about Maya not changing her name. He knows that she wanted to be known as herself, not as the wife of NERV's most promising Branch Vice-Commanders. If she truly loved him, why didn't she accept his name? Was he just a substitute for someone else? Was she his substitute for someone else?

Makoto felt disgustingly depressed and he missed his little girl. At least he knew she really loved him.

000

Misato stepped into Juno's moderately large studio-type apartment. Juno, Allen and Henri had each been given individual quarters in the same building so that they wouldn't feel so lonely away from their families. Misato looked around Juno's place, which was quite clean and orderly.

_'Juno knows how to keep house,'_ Misato thought, clearly impressed. She knew her housekeeping skills were abysmal and the Children would never let her near the cooking pots if they could help it.

Misato noticed that there was a lot of stuff around. Misato deduced that Juno had varied interests since there were a lot of things there; a football or what the Americans call a soccer ball, mountain climbing gear, books of classical fiction, weights, some unfinished paintings and a whole bunch of other things. It almost seemed as if several people lived in the apartment instead of one.

"Allen, where did you place the extra futon?" Juno asked as she prepared the sleeping mats.

"Oh, no thanks. I won't be staying for the night," Misato said as she looked at some pictures on the dresser. One was of a woman with a wavy brown hair who looked vaguely familiar. She picked it up and read the writing: "To my beloved son, I believe in you. Mom."

"Son?" Misato asked incredulously. She felt Yuri look over her shoulder.

"Who's the lady in the picture?" Yuri asked.

"She's my mom," Allen answered as he dropped some blankets and pillows on the floor. "Juno, just three, Misato said she won't stay for the night."

Misato froze and looked at Allen. He had changed into some shorts and a loose shirt, and had started brewing coffee, quite at home.

"Three?" Yuri asked as she went to the bathroom to change. "Is somebody else sleeping over?"

"Of course not," Juno "There's three of us, me, you and Allen. Henri's not here you know."

Misato dropped the picture, her jaw hanging loose. Yuri turned around to look at Juno, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"What?" Juno and Allen asked in unison.

000

Doctor Maya Ibuki frowned at the various banks of switches and lights that blanketed the walls and control stations. She knew each and everyone of them by heart from her days as a bridge bunny during the First Wave. She missed those days, when she felt so innocent and right. She couldn't remember exactly when everything became so muddled and her hands became dirty... and bloody.

The only things that made her feel better were her doctorate and her family. She figured that she owed Ritsuko and herself that much, to prove that even dolls can be human.

Her family - Makoto and Little Ritsuko. Maya felt guilty that Makoto's heartbreak became her happiness. She gave a wry grin as she remembered; she had been depressed since taking over Dr. Akagi's position and the Eighteenth Incident had brought her life crashing down around her. She felt sorry that the invading JSSDF army hadn't killed her and ended her suffering. During the early weeks of Unification, when she still hadn't been reassigned, she had tried to commit suicide.

She woke up in the hospital with Makoto by her side. He had felt depressed and had gone to visit her since he considered her a friend. He was shocked, to say the least, to find her door open and her crumpled, barely breathing form on the bathroom floor with an empty bottle of sleeping pills beside her.

She found out later that he had proposed to Misato and had been gently let down. At first they just continued their friendship that had begun early on in the war against the Angels but they soon found comfort in each other beyond mere friendship. They both needed comfort and security and found it in each other.

Three months after the end of the War of Unification, they got married in a small ceremony in the United States. Nine months later Rit-chan was born and Maya published her paper soon thereafter. Makoto's eventual promotion to Vice-commander several months after their marriage seemed a fitting reward for the hardships they had endured in the previous years.

And then the Angels returned.

"Won't we be ever rid of them?" Maya muttered under her breath with bitterness as she looked out the observation window. On the other side of the large armored glass window, the gigantic horned visage of Unit 01 was visible.

Lt. Miyuki Kata gave a sidelong glance at her mentor and superior, wondering what she meant.

000

Shinji and Asuka lingered over dessert. Shinji just drank tea, watching Asuka enjoy a banana split. During dinner, they had talked of the 'new' NERV, not wanting to touch on the old, painful subjects. Asuka did most of the talking while Shinji commented now and then. Now they were just content on companionable silence. Shinji remained silent because he didn't know what to say, and Asuka remained silent because she knew that pressing him would only result in his withdrawal.

Asuka daintily wiped her lips after finishing her dessert. She looked at Shinji who was staring out the reinforced glass window at the lake that dominated the heart of Tokyo-3. She was touched by the sadness that had crept into his eyes. He sipped his tea and noticed that she was looking at him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked uncomfortably, resting his glass on the table.

"Does something have to be wrong? You're still so negative, Shinji. I'll bet that you still say 'sorry' even if you did nothing wrong." Asuka teased as she looked into his blue eyes.

"Sorry." Shinji replied, turning his eyes away. Asuka just gazed at him in amusement and concern. His eyes bothered her by their lack of fire. She remembered the rare times that she had seen his eyes sparkle in joy. Those times had been few and far in between but they were there nonetheless. When he had been so alive outside of EVA.

Asuka took his hand from his glass and covered it with both of hers. She smiled as Shinji reddened. "Wimp."

000

Commander Santiago sat in his dark office behind his massive desk. It was a different room from that of his predecessor, since the original Commander's Office had been destroyed during the Eighteenth Incident. But it had the same spartan design; the only detail different was that the cabalistic rendering of the Tree of Life was no longer etched on the ceiling and the floor. NERV's purpose was no longer the same, therefore, a reminder of the old task was no longer necessary.

Commander Santiago was nursing a drink, a gun was on his desk. The General Committee for Security would be asking for him soon, but he still had some time to relax. The desk's built-in computer was on, its monitor displayed two pictures. One was an ID picture of a boy with long, wavy brown hair, cold black eyes and an indifferent expression. The other was of a woman who had the same wavy brown hair as the boy, she was smiling in joy at something as she looked at the camera.

" Alicia, he looks so much like you, " he muttered sadly.

000

"Hey, Kensuke, I'm going for a walk," Henri said while stretching his arms over his head. Kensuke snored in response. He waved at the control officer on duty to inform her that he was going out for a moment. Lt. Antoinette St. Croix looked up from the handbook she was reading and waved acknowledgement.

Henri walked down the long, darkened corridors, dimly aware of the surveillance cameras and laser turrets that guarded the sensitive areas of Central Dogma. Henri ignored them, focusing instead on knowing the less sensitive areas of the base. He knew that one day he might need to run through the complex for his life, it would at least be better if he knew where he was going.

Henri rode down on one of the escalators that ran through the large main shaft until he got to a point that he had never visited before. He looked at the long corridors to either side of him. The map located on a wall at the intersection showed that left would take him to the main shaft to Terminal Dogma. Henri remembered all the excitement that morning and didn't want to go back to that place without an EVA. He grimaced as he wondered what they were doing imprisoning an Angel like that...

He returned to the map. The right hand corridor however would bring him to the Special Development Labs.

Henri gave a grin, "I wonder what made it special?" he thought as he began wandering down the right corridor.

000

The four of them sat around the table. Yuri was still confused at the situation but also proud that she had been given a cup of coffee like an adult. Misato was still angry as she sipped her coffee, they were her pilots and were therefore her responsibility. She should have watched over them as she had watched over Rei and Asuka. Juno was amused at what she didn't consider a problem. Allen was slightly irritated at being treated like a child.

"This is unacceptable," Misato began. "To have three adolescents of mixed se- ... genders share a common room without adult supervision it's- it's ... unhealthy." She angrily sipped from her cup.

"Why? Because you think we'll screw like bunny rabbits?" Allen replied sarcastically. Misato was shocked at his language and immediately regretted giving them permission to talk freely. Yuri sipped her coffee, hoping the cup would hide her embarrassed blush.

"DAMN RIGHT BOY!!" Misato angrily shouted, taking the children aback. She exhaled and tried to compose herself.

"Misato, we sleep together, we do not sleep with each other." Juno smoothly interjected before the fired up Allen could shout back at Misato. "We are keeping our relationship friendly and platonic."

"For how long?" Misato growled "Have you forgotten that you and your roommates' hormones are raging out of control?" Allen flushed red and was about to say something but Juno stopped him short with a gesture.

"Granted. But we are no longer simple children, Misato. We carry the responsibility of protecting humanity on our shoulders. Can we not carry the responsibility of other actions as well?"

Misato wanted to say something, but knew that she doubted herself. Her anger and indignation deflated. Juno had a point. They were expected to carry an adult responsibility, yet they were not allowed the privilege of being treated as adults. They were expected to act as adults but are treated like children. Besides, why shouldn't she give them the same trust she placed in Shinji and Asuka? Given that the two did have separate rooms and acted like they just barely tolerated each other, Misato does know that it was just an act. And she did spend a lot of time leaving the two of them alone that...

Misato didn't know what to say. Allen was staring at the table, his anger cooling. Yuri looked in awe at Juno who was nonchalantly sipping her coffee. Juno was pleased at being able to control her swearing, she knew it would have aggravated Misato's bad mood and probably land her and the boys in a lot of trouble.

"Get me a futon," Misato finally replied.

000

"All systems green. Evangelion Unit 01 is ready for activation." Lt. Corrie Hayes announced, fighting the urge to fall asleep and carefully scratching at the itchy bandage covering his wounded brow. He had been working for two straight days and he needed sleep, the draining excitement earlier that day didn't help to conserve his usually remarkable stamina for work. He looked at the others and wondered how they could still work on nothing but pure dedication to their jobs and vast amounts of caffeine. He smiled at the thought that his blood was now probably composed of coffee.

"Shut down all systems," Maya ordered before involuntarily yawning. "Good work, everyone. Go home and get some sleep." Those who didn't fall asleep immediately greeted the last order with a sleepy cheer.

After the technicians and control officers filed past her, dragging those who had fallen asleep, Maya looked at Unit 01. Its eyes were dark and the jagged jaw binder was closed. She had nightmares of the Beast in full horror, fire dancing around it as its open jaw dripped blood. She shook her head. It was ready for activation, she had done her job. And she prayed that she wouldn't regret it.

She closed the lights as she left the room.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Rei: A child without a mother. Love's tender touch. A moment when children come of age. Heaven and Hell 0:6 A Moment of Kindness, a time for growing up.


	6. A Moment of Kindness

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:6 - A Moment of Kindness  
04/24/2001

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

Pre-Read by Kyo Tetsuei, Raymond Ryckman

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:6 - A Moment of Kindness**

"Hm? I thought Misato would be here already," Asuka said as she removed her shoes. She and Shinji had taken a quiet walk home, and Asuka assumed that by the way Misato drove when they last saw her that she would have beaten them to the apartment by several hours.

"There's a message on the answering machine," Shinji said from the living room as Asuka joined him. He pressed the play button.

"Good evening everyone!" Misato's vibrant voice greeted. "I'll be staying with Juno and the others for the night! Asuka, how did your date go? -- Allen! I saw you look at my cards!" There was the sound of children giggling in the background. "Where was I? Oh yeah, Rei, how's your head? Are you all right? And Shinji, sorry about your room, we were using it for storage. You can put out the stuff in the living room if you want and we'll clean it up tomorrow. Well, see you in the morning. And don't do anything naughty while I'm away." Misato gave a laugh before they heard the beep signaling the end of the message.

Shinji and Asuka looked at each other before they looked away, blushing. Rei was still in the hospital for observation after she received a concussion during the Unit 01 retrieval operation.

Once again, the Second and the Third had the apartment to themselves.

000

"You're bluffing!" Allen cried out as Misato laid down a card facedown. Misato grinned at him and turned the card face up. She wasn't. As the others laughed, Allen groaned as the pile of cards was pushed in his direction.

Misato wiped a tear from her eye with one finger, still laughing at the boy's misfortune. They had been playing for a couple of hours and she could feel the fatigue starting to take its toll.

"Enough, I can't take it anymore," She said, sighing. "We've got a Synch Test scheduled for tomorrow, so everyone get some sleep."

The children groaned in disappointment, with Allen the loudest since he hadn't won a single game.

000

Asuka lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a magazine spread open on her belly. She had changed her clothes but was unable to sleep. She had tried reading to make her sleepy- to no avail, she was somehow anticipating something. She fiddled with the buttons of the white shirt she wore as she strained her ears, trying to hear if Shinji was still awake in the next room.

Not that she was planning anything or afraid (or hoping) that he would try something. But they were alone in the apartment. He was a boy and she was a girl... And boys often had these urges when they're alone with a girl... Asuka shook her head, surprised at her line of thought. She turned over and laid facedown on the bed and buried her blushing face into her pillows. She took a deep breath to smell the scent on them. She wrinkled her nose. Like the locker she had taken for her own, the bed and the pillows no longer smelled or felt like their previous owner. Her own scent, her own spirit, had infused itself on these items. They were now hers. Even the shirt she wore was no longer his.

"Shinji's not like that," she whispered to herself. She remembered the times she had teased him in a most unladylike manner and he showed no reaction. She remembered the time she tricked him into kissing her. She still felt uncomfortable about that little episode and tried very hard not to think about it. It was the first time she had been actually scared of Shinji. Or more precisely, scared of falling in love with the boy he was.

After that day, Shinji became withdrawn as the situation with the Angels and his father worsened. Asuka sighed as she remembered those times. She too had become withdrawn, her depression had intensified as Rei, Shinji and the 15th Angel undermined her status and self-confidence. She had lost her sense of worth.

Asuka shuddered as she remembered the 15th Angel. It had invaded her mind, and she had felt her soul ravaged and violated. She had lost her mind for a while because of it. Only the Eighteenth Incident brought her back from insanity. The day that others reviled, she remembered with gratitude, as it was the day she had been reborn.

She thought of Shinji. He was the one who had suffered the most from the Eighteenth Incident, the Day of Betrayal. He was the one who had been betrayed the most. He had run away after that day and didn't return for two years. The Hedgehog's Dilemma, Misato had told her once.

000

**The Eighteenth Incident  
Two years before**

"Do you know what a hedgehog is?" Misato asked Asuka as the girl lay on the hospital bed beside her own. They were both in a mobile hospital tent waiting for the helicopter and the clearance to be transferred to Tokyo-2. The tent contained nearly forty wounded NERV personnel, the only survivors of the more than five thousand people who had worked in the Geofront. Several other tents contained the civilians who had been caught still inside the city after the evacuation- total civilian casualties were still unknown at this point.

Asuka turned to Misato, her eyes still full of tears. Shinji had left. He had abandoned them. He had left her.

"What the fuck does a hedgehog have to do with Shinji leaving!" Asuka yelled impatiently, making some of the other patients and the guards look at them. A hurt look from Misato calmed her down. "Yes, I know what a hedgehog is, it's a small animal with spikes... So what?" Asuka said a little more softly, her tone still belligerent.

"Well, the hedgehog has this problem. Every winter, when it's very cold, the hedgehog wants to share his warmth with other hedgehogs. But the closer they get to each other, the more they hurt the ones they love. The hedgehog's dilemma is; does he freeze to death or does he hurt himself and his loved ones?" Misato glanced down at the sling of her broken arm and felt the bandages wrapped around her chest seemed to tighten as she waited for Asuka to make the connection. Asuka didn't disappoint her.

"So what? Relationships hurt but we can't live without them," Asuka spat out. "He's hurting, we all are! Why can't he take it like a man!"

"Because no one taught him how." Misato stared at the crucifix that someone had hung on one of the support poles of the tent. "His father abandoned him and his uncle didn't care enough. And I guess I didn't know how."

Asuka remembered herself and what had happened in her EVA earlier that day. She remembered why she had trained hard, why she bullied the others, why she always had to be the best. She was like Shinji. She kept others at a distance so that she won't be hurt. Like him, she too had been scared of the pain that caring for others brought. Where Shinji had withdrawn into himself, she had pushed others away.

She finally understood the circumstances that she and Shinji shared. And the cleansing tears came with the painful truth. There was no need to be ashamed at the show of weakness.

"What's wrong?" Misato gently asked.

"I - I just hope he gets his act together before he freezes his balls off."

000

Shinji stared at the ceiling as he lay on his back on a futon since someone, probably Rei, had appropriated his bed when he left. The music streaming from his earphones went unheeded as he sorted out his thoughts. It was a familiar ceiling; he remembered the countless nights he had spent staring at it. It was comforting, something familiar.

Since returning to Tokyo-3, he had felt lost, like a piece of wood drifting in the sea. Everything was so new, so alien. Most of the people he knew were dead or irreversibly changed from their old selves or at least the part of them they had shown him when he came to Tokyo-3 all those years ago.

Rei, who was so cold, indifferent, so self-assured with her righteousness when he left, was now almost a normal teenager, fragile and unsure of herself.

Misato's cheerful expression was more forced than before he left, he knew that her pain went deeper than she let on.

Mr. Hyuga who had been an unassuming young man when he left was now very forceful and confident... or maybe he had always been and Shinji just didn't notice the first time.

Ms. Ibuki who had been shy and timid was more like Ritsuko now, her open face belying her eyes that were sad and heavy with some dark secret that Shinji didn't want to know.

And then there was Asuka, she seemed to have regained her fire but it was somehow tempered, she was now more calculating than forceful, like a tiger that had known the pain of fire.

The only thing that remained the same was Pen-pen, not that the penguin mattered much.

Shinji dreaded the next day, when he would meet his old friends, since he wondered how much they changed.

Then there were the new people, he still hadn't met the three new pilots and he was barely acquainted with Toji's little sister since he had been too uncomfortable with the fact that he had nearly killed her almost three years back. Lt. Hayes was nice and gave him the sense of being open to other people's problems. Lt. Kata was the opposite, too formal and professional to care for other people beyond professional courtesy. Lt. St. Croix downright made him uneasy - she was too eager to please everyone.

Then there was the Commander. Shinji felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He reminded Shinji of his own father. That cold professionalism tempered with fanatical dedication to his work. The only thing working for Shinji was that Shinji didn't hate Commander Santiago and they weren't related by blood so Shinji didn't feel a need to get close to the man.

Shinji's eyelids drooped in fatigue but he forced them open, not wanting to drift off to sleep. He had started to drink coffee in order to stay awake longer. He was afraid to close his eyes, knowing that the nightmares would come. Fire and blood. The crucified Angel. His father's sin. His sin.

Shinji remembered that he had to call Dr. Akagi and inform her on his decision to rejoin NERV. She could probably veto his decision but he had a feeling that she would not interfere with his personal life.

Shinji blinked, yawned, and felt the inevitability of fighting against sleep as finally gave in to it.

000

Misato woke up a little disoriented. She wasn't in her room, and she started panicking, wondering whose house she went home to and what she did before she fell asleep. Misato finally remembered and calmed down. She slowly breathed out and propped herself up on her elbows and looked around. Misato noticed one of the futons was empty, Allen was gone and the bathroom door was wide open, showing that it was unoccupied. Misato's hand went for the gun she had placed underneath her pillow.

Misato slowly sat up and noted that there were no signs of intruders, which calmed her a bit. That and the knowledge that there was a team of heavily armed NERV security four doors down the hall.

On a hunch, she took a cup and poured herself some lukewarm coffee before going outside to join Allen.

The apartment building was built around a central courtyard, all the apartments opening towards it through a wide balcony-walkway. In an emergency, the building is equipped with retractable armored shutters, which could repel most conventional weapons. Misato found it ironic that the reconstructed Tokyo-3's defenses were geared more for fighting against humans rather than Angels. Then her mind went back to the report on her desk that arrived the day before, and she thought that maybe it wasn't so ironic - just very, very sad.

Allen Alleyn sat against the wall by the doorway, gazing up at the wing opposite their apartment. He wanted to look up at the stars, but it was impossible from his position unless someone blew up the opposite wing. He looked down at the picture he was holding.

"Mom, I miss you." Allen whispered as tears slid down his cheeks. Allen could feel his emotions rush out from the place they had been pent-up. Thankfully, sadness came forward instead of anger. It would upset his plans if he lost control and did something against Misato right now. He heard the click of the doorknob and hurriedly wiped away his tears, smudging his face.

"Hi." Misato cheerfully said as she stepped onto the porch, holding a cup. She was wearing her tight, black skirt and a black undershirt that he judged to be one size too small. Allen tried not to notice that she had large breasts and ... Allen looked away, blushing, ashamed of his train of thought.

"Whassat?" Misato said as she leaned back on the concrete parapet opposite him. She noticed his glistening cheeks but decided not to comment on it.

"My mom's picture." Allen said, his voice low and sad. He sniffed. Unable to keep it in anymore, he began choking down sobs.

Misato suddenly remembered. She had been so busy during the last few months that she had been unable to know the new pilots better. She remembered who Allen's mother was, and also what day tomorrow was. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the Eighteenth Incident, one day before the War of Unification began. Allen's mother was the enemy then, the person who under orders from SEELE, commanded the nine EVAs to destroy Tokyo-3.

Misato looked at the crying boy. Pawns. They had all been pawns in a sick game between SEELE and Gendo Ikari. They had all been unknowingly working for different versions of Third Impact. Misato sighed. Who was right? Who was wrong? She knew most of the truths behind the Human Instrumentality Project and the Human Complement Program but still she was unsure. They had played with the power of God. To change the world. Misato knew that deep in her heart, she too would have been unable to resist such temptation.

But still they were only pawns. To be used. To be discarded.

Misato placed her cup on the parapet and knelt in front of the boy. Allen looked at her, the tears drying on his cheeks. Misato smiled at him and opened her arms and pulled him into a warm, motherly hug. Allen did the only thing he could do at that moment. Act like the hurt child that he was.

000

Shinji looked at the broken form of the white EVA at his feet. Growling in anger, he slammed his foot on its head, a satisfying crunch ran up his leg as the head splattered on the ground. He turned around and saw Unit 02 insert a power plug into its back. Beside Unit 02 was the ruined Central Dogma pyramid, a huge chunk was missing from one of its sides where several missiles had pierced the thick armor. Shinji looked at the place where his father's office used to be, tears streamed from his eyes, mixing with the LCL. He looked at Misato's crucifix, which floated in the LCL before him, parts of it still red where her blood had failed to dissolve in the liquid environment of the entry plug.

"They want me to start Third Impact, " Shinji flatly said. Asuka's image appeared on a screen.

"Shinji? Are - are you OK?" Asuka asked, concern in her voice. She became worried as Shinji started laughing bitterly.

"They were using me... everyone... dead... because... I'm..."

"Shinji?"

Asuka gasped as Unit 01 blurred from her vision as Shinji ran towards the damaged pyramid. She started running after him but she was wounded and her EVA was damaged; besides, Shinji's abilities had long since eclipsed hers. She cursed and prayed that Shinji had not been driven insane, as she had been.

The air shimmered around Unit 01 as it flew down the main shaft on its At Field. All the blast doors had already been destroyed and its progress was unimpeded. The purple beast finally dropped in a crouching position before the huge blast doors of Heaven's Gate. Several lance-swords were embedded into it; the four remaining EVAs had been trying to cut through it before Unit 01 rudely interrupted them. The body parts of three white EVAs were scattered all over the place, the last EVA had been destroyed outside where Shinji and Asuka had forced it back.

Shinji went to the door and grasped a sword and activated the progressive edge. Sparks flew as the blade bit into the metal.

"Too slow. Too slow." Shinji said in monotone, he could feel his heart being wrenched by sadness and anger. Shinji never got to reconcile with his father. He had lost his father, his mother, his youth and innocence because of the thing behind the door.

It was because of it that Shinji's father had abandoned him. It was because of it that the Beast he piloted absorbed his mother. It was because of it that countless people had died. Shinji felt his emotions well up and he began to roar along with the Beast.

The blast door crumpled inward as the projected AT Field slammed into it, but it held. Another wave of the AT Field slammed into the blast door but it still held. Shinji roared once more and threw Unit 01 against the door, which finally gave way. Unit 01 fell into the sea of LCL on the other side. Shinji saw the Angel on the cross. Adam. The Angel of Death that brought about Second Impact. He willed his EVA closer, wading waist deep in the sea of LCL. His purpose clear as anger and despair broiled within him. Adam looked at him, each of the seven eyes showed pity.

He could hear something splash in the LCL behind him. A screen came to life as Asuka shouted something at him, he drove all thoughts of her from his mind and focused on the crucified Angel. She was another reason to do this, he can't live to bear what he had done.

As he neared the crucified Angel, he saw a girl appear on the top of the cross, her short, blue hair blowing with the wind that entered from the ruined doors. She looked at his EVA, through it and directly at him. Her red eyes radiated sadness and sympathy. She raised her arms as if to embrace him. Shinji noticed that she was naked, but he didn't feel any embarrassment or shame. His whole body felt numb as it trembled with chaotic emotions.

Shinji felt like he had no control over his body. He tried to tighten his grip on the control sticks in order to stop his hands from trembling, but his body did not respond. He watched as Unit 01's hand reached out and grabbed the girl from the cross.

Shinji looked at her, the familiar face that the doll wore made him angry. The hand gripped tighter making the doll gasp in pain. He remembered the last time he held someone in Unit 01's hand. He remembered the red eyes looking up at him, without blame or disappointment. Those eyes looked at him with sad understanding. Just like the eyes of the doll he was holding now...

Shinji sat up screaming. He was not in Unit 01. He was not holding Rei in his hands. That moment was over. A long time had passed. He was on his futon, in his room, in his home.

Shinji took short, quick breaths. He pulled his knees to his chest and cradled his head in his hands and sighed. He felt his wet brow and noticed that he had broken into a cold sweat. Shinji jumped as the door was furiously shoved aside and Asuka jumped into the room, her pistol in her hand.

"I - I heard a scream," Asuka said, concerned for her housemate. Shinji collapsed on the futon in relief that it was Asuka and not a JSSDF soldier. Asuka came and kneeled beside the boy. She placed her hand on his brow while the other hand set the gun aside. "You're sweaty and clammy. Are you all right?"

"No. I'll never be all right," Shinji said with a sob as he turned away from her and began crying.

000

Henri walked down the long twisting corridors, he was slightly nervous that his body seemed to know where to go, as if something was guiding him to his destination. He paused at an intersection before turning where he was being pulled. At the end of the corridor was a large blast-door. The words: Special Development Laboratories were painted in red below the NERV logo. A keypad and cardswipe was beside the door, right below warnings printed in Japanese and English that trespassers would be shot.

Henri approached the doors and traced the painted letters with his fingers. He looked up at the laser turrets guarding the door.

000

Lt. Antoinette St. Croix sat down at the middle Chief Control Officer's station on the command bridge. She ran her fingers across Lt. Corrie Hayes' workstation, a little envious that it had more control panels than hers. She knew that Colonel Hyuga once sat at this very workstation and she believed that those who worked at the station were on the fast track to promotion. She sighed. A promotion would be the best way to repay her parents for all the trouble they went through for her.

At Lt. Antoinette's workstation, a red light blinked, unnoticed, before it was extinguished a few moments later.

000

Henri was surprised as the large blast-doors opened with a hiss. The color drained from his face as he looked up at the laser turrets, expecting to be fried to a crisp. He was relieved to see the turrets' laser rifles droop as they lost power.

Henri looked at the inky blackness of the Special Development Lab. In the far corner he could see a faint, glowing light. The light was calling him, compelling him to obey. Like a moth drawn to the light, Henri stepped into the darkness.

000

Maya slept on the futon Makoto kept in his office for the times that one of them had to work late. Makoto sat behind his desk perusing a thick red folder. Makoto looked up from the report he was reading and looked at his wife with a mixture of love and regret.

He returned to reading the report and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He looked at his watch.

"It's time," he whispered to himself before he pushed himself off his chair to wake up his wife.

000

Rei sighed as she closed her book. She still felt euphoric as the story's end still lingered at the tip of her tongue.

'Though it could have done with less bed scenes...' she thought with a blush and a shy smile.

She gave a gasp and the book fell from her suddenly numb fingers.

'No...'

000

Misato leaned back on the wall and sighed, Allen had fallen asleep in her arms and she didn't want to wake the poor boy. She thought of the First Wave - fifteen Angels attacked Tokyo-3 in the span of one year. The last Angel took the guise of a child, a young boy who managed to befriend a troubled Shinji. She didn't really know what happened between the two during the day and night they had together but she was sure of what happened after. The bitter climax to a short friendship that left one friend dead and the other emotionally shattered. The Angel's death had brought more grief to Shinji's troubled life, and brought it crashing around him.

Misato was somehow glad that Shinji had chosen to run away. If she had been in Shinji's position, she would have taken her gun and blown her brains out. Well, probably after killing her superiors first, Misato smiled at that thought. Now that Shinji was back, she didn't know what new pains would come into the boy's life.

Misato looked down at Allen, wondering what skeletons lay in his closet. On the outside he looked like a carefree child, the exact opposite of Shinji, but when he cried, he was just as vulnerable and hurt - just like all children, no, like everybody else. She yawned and leaned her head back on the wall. Tomorrow was bound to be a busy day, what with the anniversary of the Eighteenth Incident, the religious fanatics might just decide to make a statement.

She snapped her head forward as her phone went off at the same time as the Angel Attack Sirens did.

000

A boy his age looked up at him, a blush was on the boy's face. A familiar feeling.

A girl with blue hair and wearing a high school uniform. She was coming up the elevator towards him. A kindred spirit.

A girl with golden-red hair, sleeping on a hospital bed with some sort of sickness. Someone worth sympathy.

A lake full of ruins, its waters tinged blood red by the setting sun. The fortress of Humanity.

A sea of yellow liquid in some hellish place. A cross the color of blood. A white being. Mother of all.

Henri stared at the things around him, his eyes were dead and unseeing as the memories took precedence.

His eyes began turning red.

Henri came to and found himself on the catwalk over his EVA, wondering how he got there. But the mystery of the laboratory was still in his mind, like impressionistic paintings the images gave form and shape but no distinct details.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the metal railing. He stared blankly at the gigantic bio-mechanical monstrosity upon which Humanity depended upon for order and survival. He felt like he forgot something. Something terrible and important. A tear slid down his cheek and fell into the abyss under the catwalk he stood upon.

The sirens shattered his train of thought.

000

Shinji reflexively snapped awake as the sirens went off. He tried to sit up but something heavy was on his chest. He looked down and saw that Asuka had fallen asleep curled up half on top of him. He could feel his face warm up and he remembered his sin against her. He shoved the memory away, ashamed of it. He carefully embraced her, feeling the weight and warmth of her body against him. If only he hadn't been stupid and ruined any chance he might have with her... he could just stay there and be comfortable in the fact that he liked her, and liked her a lot. Only if she could return it, he could honestly say that he would be very happy.

But that was not to be, and there was the insistent siren that demanded their attention.

Shinji sighed in disappointment and released her from his embrace. He gently shook Asuka awake by the shoulders, "Asuka. Wake up, Asuka."

"Whassit?" Asuka mumbled sleepily. She snuggled closer to the warm thing she was sleeping on. The rhythmic drumming in her ear suddenly picked up its pace, making her smile as it comforted her. She heard a comforting voice saying something to her and this too made her smile. But there was also a loud noise that she found frighteningly familiar--

Shinji almost jumped out of his skin as Asuka's eyes shot open, her blue eyes looking straight into his. Shinji cringed, immediately removing his arms from her. Knowing Asuka, she would now stand up, call him stupid or a pervert or a stupid pervert, and then knock him unconscious.

It seemed as if Shinji knew Asuka better than he thought.

"SHINJI YOU STUPID PERVERT!!" Asuka yelled as she jumped off him. Shinji sat up and automatically raised his arms as a shield and cringed. Asuka blinked at Shinji's reaction and a sudden flood of guilt and shame brought her short. She looked at her upraised hand, unable to believe she was about to slap Shinji, her Shinji. He had already gone through much and she didn't want to make him run away again. She slowly brought her hand down and looked away in remorse.

"Come on, grab your coat and let's go," Asuka said, her face hot with guilt and embarrassment.

000

"Prepare for First Level Combat!" Col. Makoto Hyuga ordered as the Angel entered the fifty-kilometer mark. "Evangelion status?"

"Sir, Units 15 and 31 are now on the Deployment Elevators to Route 167, Units are green and awaiting orders." Makoto looked at the sub screens showing the two pilots.

"They look so young and scared," he said to his wife. "Kensuke Aida has been in combat against the rebels in Germany, Switzerland, North America, China, and the Middle East during the War. He is quite good as a pilot but inexperienced against Angels. Henri Montblanc has shared an Angel kill, unfortunately he had heavy support then, there is no telling how he'll perform with only one EVA supporting him."

"Unit 01 is here, but Shinji is on the other side of the city. All that stands between the Angel and us are two inexperienced pilots," Dr. Maya Ibuki noted to her husband. She felt her chest tighten in fear as she remembered her daughter sleeping in her nursery. "There is only one way to find out how they'll do. Even if MAGI has already computed that Aida has an eighty percent chance of survival."

"And Henri?" Makoto asked, unnerved by the coldness with which his wife just announced Aida's chances. He saw his wife bite her lips.

000

Misato drove through the empty streets, trying to reach Central Dogma before the Angel did. Around her, the buildings began to lower their armored shutters, not as good as retracting down into the geofront, as those buildings near the lake could do, but it was better than being left vulnerable. Allen, Juno and Yuri, were in the back, wearing heavy coats over their sleeping clothes. Misato was pushing her car to the limit as she drove, she remembered the last time she did it and what the consequences would be if she did not reach Central Dogma in time.

Allen looked out at the starry night sky over the mountains. It was so beautiful, he felt at peace. He smiled a gentle smile as he remembered that it was the anniversary of his mother's death.

"Today's a good day to die," he whispered.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Maya: How do you fight an invisible enemy? Kensuke had always dreamt of piloting an EVA, but now that he has fully appreciated the experience, he's wondering why! Heaven and Hell 0:7 When Children Spread Angel Wings!


	7. When Children Spread Angel Wings

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:7 - When Children Spread Angel Wings

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

Pre-Read by Kyo Tetsuei, Raymond Ryckman

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:7 - When Children Spread Angel Wings**

Only the stars and the moon gave light to the forest; beyond the mountains, the huge fortress city was blanketed in darkness. Birds flew shrieking from their roosts on a hill as the hum of large machines could be heard. Trees and boulders moved aside as the hillside parted to reveal a hidden tunnel. A loud rushing noise could be heard as two Evangelion platforms raced towards the entrance. The platforms slammed to a stop at the end of the gigantic rail tracks, the Evangelions still safely locked in a horizontal position in their respective cages.

Kensuke saw a flash and he screamed a warning as he forced his EVA to break apart its restraints. He made his EVA roll away from the tunnel which soon exploded in a blinding light.

Henri's eyes bugged out as his mouth opened to make a scream that he never even began. The cage broke apart like fragile bamboo and Henri's EVA was thrown back into the tunnel.

"Energy surge detected from target! Blood type pattern: Blue, confirmed! Angel logged as Angel 20!" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix shouted excitedly.

"Pilot Montblanc is unconscious, EVA-31's damage is within tolerance," Lt. Miyuki Kata reported in a calmer, more professional tone.

Col. Makoto Hyuga gritted his teeth as he saw Unit 31 thrown back into the tunnel. Kensuke's Unit 15 had deployed its cannon and was looking around for the target, the hillside behind it a blazing inferno .

"Close the tunnel route and seal all internal gates!!" Col. Hyuga shouted, the last thing he wanted was for the Angel to have free access into the Geofront.

"Where the Hell is it?! I can't see it!!" Kensuke Aida's voice cried in anger through the communicator. "It's supposed to be in front of me!! Where is it?!"

Makoto looked at the main radar. It showed a blue blip right in front of a red blip. The blue one was the Angel and should be visible to the EVAs. Unfortunately, there was nothing in front of the EVA's ocular cameras except the trees colored red by the fire.

"Just shoot in front of you!" Makoto commanded.

Growling, Kensuke started firing into the trees, hoping that he would hit something-- anything.

000

Misato saw a bright flash of light some distance from the city as she drove her car into the underground highway into the Geofront. She drove faster, knowing that the battle had been joined.

Juno saw the bright light, and she suddenly felt irrational fear. She began to pray, not that she really believed in it, rather because her aunt had trained her since childhood to pray during times of doubt and trouble.

Yuri saw the bright light, and she grinned, knowing that she will be fighting soon. She was in the mood for a bit of violence.

Allen saw the bright light, and he felt nothing.

000

Shinji and Asuka ran out of the building as the attack sirens finally stopped. They had pulled on heavy jackets over their sleeping clothes as they ran. A bright light appeared on the horizon, and they knew that the fight had already begun. Moments later the thunder of the gunfire reached them.

Asuka felt a premonition of doom pass over her. A cold shiver ran down body, the same sensation she normally felt in the presence of an Absolute Terror Field.

She blinked as she noticed something. She stopped her hand, which had unconsciously gotten closer to Shinji's. Asuka looked down at her hand then at Shinji, who was looking far away. Asuka frowned then drew her hand back to her side.

"Now what, Third Children?" she asked gruffly, her eyes averted to a side. Shinji winced at her tone, but there was no helping it, Asuka is Asuka.

"We--" Shinji grabbed at the front of his shirt as he suddenly felt as if his heart had been squeezed. He wheezed noticeably and tears came to his eyes.

"Shinji!!" Asuka cried out, her hands darted out to hold him up by the shoulders.

"I- I felt something call to me," he was able to moan out as he sank to his knees. "It wants me to come to it."

Asuka followed Shinji's gaze right into the heart of Tokyo-3, at the moon reflected on the blue waters of the lake which was the center of Tokyo-3.

000

Kensuke screamed in defiance as a bolt of energy slammed right through his AT Field and into his EVA. His EVA was pushed back by the energy bolt, the EVA's heels ripped up the ground, the EVA's chest armor began to crack. Kensuke resisted the urge to fall on his back and Unit 15 obeyed, staying on its feet, smoke trails scattered away and behind it. Kensuke squinted in pain, trying to find the invisible enemy. The energy bolt had come out of thin air. He caught his breath while red warnings came on-line to tell him that his EVA was heavily damaged.

On a hunch, he fired and saw the orange concentric hexagons as the cannon shell struck an AT Field. Kensuke smiled in relief before dodging an energy bolt on instinct. He fired his last shot and saw sparks fly once more.

"The bastard's invisible," Kensuke reported the obvious. He threw away the empty cannon and drew the progressive knife from his left shoulder fin. The blade extended from the hilt and glowed as it vibrated. "Shit. This is going to be complicated."

000

They ran down the street towards the center of the city.

Asuka skidded to halt outside a locked bicycle shop.

Shinji ran past her and had to double back. "What is it?"

"You know how to ride a bike?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"Good." Asuka smirked as she took out her gun and blew the lock off the store's door.

000

Maya and most of the staff jumped as a blue car roared into the control theater, its tires screeched against the floor as it tried to stop. "Misato?"

Misato jumped out of the car and ran to the elevator that would take her to the control deck. Juno, Yuri and Allen stumbled out of the car and looked at the main monitor. Kensuke's Unit 15 was firing at something they can't see. Henri's Unit 31 was nowhere to be seen. As one, the Children ran to the locker rooms.

"Is Shinji here?" Misato cried out as she stepped onto the control deck. She was about to scold Makoto for launching the EVAs without her authority before she remembered that he outranked her now.

"No. Most likely he and Asuka are trapped in a shelter somewhere," Hyuga replied as he took a step back to relinquish command to Misato.

"Get Unit 01 prepped! Contact Section 2 and get them to locate Shinji and bring him here! What's the situation?" Misato directed the question to Maya as the control officers did her bidding.

"The Angel is using a Dirac's Sea to capture and bend light, it's invisible to everything except our high-end radar. Unit 31 is down and the pilot is unconscious but unharmed. We're trying to use the life-support to revive him by remote," Maya reported, a bit perturbed that she sounded like Dr. Akagi - that is; too cold and impersonal.

Misato nodded in understanding. "Units 32, 30 and 40 are to be deployed. Prep Units 02 and 17, they are to be given deployment priority when Asuka and Hikari arrive."

"Negative on 02, the damage it suffered during the retrieval operation was greater than that received by Unit 40. It would suffer feedback problems once activated." Lt. Miyuki reported.

"Which could get the pilot killed..." Misato muttered.  Her heart jumped into her throat as the gray Unit 15 took a hit in the chest. The EVA counter-attacked and hit the enemy with a knife thrust that rebounded off the Angel's AT Field. She breathed in relief. Kensuke seemed to have a lot of fight still left in him.

000

Shinji panted as he pedaled the bike. It was a mountain racer, just like the one he had on the farm, so he had no problem driving it. The only difficulty he had was with the redhead riding behind him.

"Pedal faster!" Asuka shouted into his ear as her long hair streamed from under her red helmet and flapped in the wind.

"I am!" Shinji shouted back as he used a hand to adjust his blue helmet to keep his bangs out of his eyes. _'I need a haircut.'_ He quickly returned his hand to the handlebars. "Lean to the left."

"OK!" Asuka responded as she felt their old synchronicity come into effect. They began to act like a unit, one mind with two bodies. They cut the corner at breakneck speed that would have ended in disaster for anybody else.

"We're going to jump!" Shinji cried out as they approached the hill's downward slope. He felt Asuka nod, her grip tightened on his shoulders, the shift of her weight to even out with his. Then they were flying.

Shinji felt exhilaration at the familiar feeling. The feeling of becoming one with...

"Watch it!" Asuka screamed at the bike shook as Shinji lost control for a moment as they landed.

"Sorry!" Shinji glowered at the road in front of him as he regained control. He felt Asuka roll her eyes behind him.

"Pull over," Asuka whispered into his ear, her breath and warm lips tickled his ear.

"Wha-?!" He stopped the bike by the curb and looked at her. He found it hard to breathe. He could feel her racing heartbeat. He could feel the sweat covering her body. Even though she had turned away from him and her hair obscured her face, he knew she was blushing. He felt everything that she was feeling! As he sat on the saddle and watched as she walked over to a nearby wall, he wondered if she could feel what he was feeling.

"This is an emergency gate," Asuka pulled open a panel that revealed a card swipe and a numeric keypad. She still had her back turned towards Shinji. That time on the bike as she whispered in his ear, she had been tempted to kiss him. As Asuka placed her card at the top of the slot, her hand trembled a bit.

"ASUKA!" Shinji screamed.

Asuka gasped as Shinji threw himself at her as the building across the street exploded. Shinji wrapped his arms protectively around her as they slammed into the wall.

"Shinji..." her eyes were wide as she looked at the building on the other side of the street.

The boy followed her gaze and he looked at the huge feet of the EVA that stuck out from the ruins.

"That's Kensuke's..." Asuka gasped out as Shinji still held her in a protective embrace.

They looked at each other. Without hesitation they pulled Asuka's card through the slot.

000

Henri moaned and clutched his head as he regained consciousness. All he remembered was a bright flash and something burning on his chest.

"Henri! Get up! Kensuke's in trouble!" Henri heard a voice from the communication link. "Proceed to Tokyo-3 immediately!!"

"What?" Henri asked, still disoriented. "Where?"

"SNAP OUT OF IT PILOT!" Henri was suddenly awake as he recognized Misato's voice screaming over the Comm link. "Unit 31 is to proceed to Tokyo-3 and engage the enemy!"

"Yes, Sir!!" Henri yelped back as he manipulated his EVA to a standing position as the route entrance re-opened. Henri took a deep breath before he ejected the power plug and made his EVA run out into the night.

000

"Units 30, 32 and 40 are green and ready for deployment and are awaiting orders," Lt. Miyuki reported to Misato as Allen, Juno, and Yuri's respective EVAs came on-line.

"Unit 32 and 40 are to be deployed by Route 27, Unit 30 is to remain on standby." Misato looked at the main monitor, knowing that they can see the Angel on their scanners but they can't see it without it. "Feed main radar view to all units. Get the MAGI to generate the Angel's appearance from radar data, then over-lay it on the EVA's monitors!"

"Hmm... Yes that will work," Maya was impressed with Misato's plan, the woman's tactical genius was one of the reasons that they lived through the First Wave.  However, all plans tend to hit a snag. "Unfortunately, the pilots will only be given a general position of the target. We still can't get a fix on its size and shape. The Angel is using a weak EMP pulse that hinders our ability to gather more useful data."

"And if the pilots start shooting blindly with cannons," Makoto interjected, "We will have a very damaged city."

"..." Misato became thoughtful, "No use destroying a city we just rebuilt... Deploy progressive lances."

"Hand to hand combat with an enemy we can't see?" Makoto asked, "Is that wise?"

"Got any better ideas... Sir?" Misato replied sarcastically, forgetting for a moment that she was now the subordinate.

"The Chief Pilot has just accessed Entry Point 08D!" Lt. St. Croix announced.

"Well..." Makoto started, still red from the sarcasm in his former superior's voice.

000

Yuri was raring to go. She could feel the bloodlust starting, fueled by the desire to get some payback for her brother and the nasty abdominal pains she was feeling. She looked around, making the EVA turn its head in synch with her movements. Units 30 and 32 were beside her Unit 40, all were powered up and ready to go, but because of legal precautions, only four Evangelions are allowed to be active from any base at any time. Allen's Unit 30 has been ordered to remain on standby because of his lower synch ratio.

"What's happening?" Yuri asked as the platform of Juno's Unit 32 was moved from the elevator and returned to the hangar area.

"I just got orders to remain on standby too," Juno said incredulously, her image on the mini screen was confused. "Unit 01 is to take point position."

"You mean the new pilot?" Yuri asked, "Kensuke and Hikari said he's impressive. But he doesn't look much, and his EVA's ugly."

Unit 32's platform stopped and a new platform, bearing a purple and blue Evangelion, replaced its position on the elevator. Unit 01 looked different from the latter model Evangelions. Its head had a backplate to protect its neck and a horn in front with no apparent purpose. Instead of a one piece chest armor, Unit 01's chest armor was doubled, with the second layer separated into two pieces protecting each side of the chest that left the middle of the chest protected only by the primary layer.

"Units 01 and 40, prepare for launch!" a mini screen appeared with Misato's image. "Unit 01 will take the point, Unit 40 will serve as backup."

"Backup?!" Yuri protested, unable to believe that a has-been pilot was upstaging her. "But- but he's out of shape! It's been two years since he piloted! I should be on point!"

"Yuri," Misato said in her scolding tone. She glared at Yuri until the young girl gave in. Satisfied that Yuri had accepted her fate, Misato gave the order; "Launch!"

000

"What am I doing here?" Shinji thought as he felt his EVA come to life. The familiar sensations coming back. The faint tingling of his cranial transmitters, the tightness of the plug suit over his body, the warm liquid sensation of the LCL... and the desire to run away. "I am not supposed to be here. I should be back on my farm. I should be raising vegetables and flowers. My watermelons are just about ready."

He felt his consciousness expand as he synchronized with the man-made  
Beast. He felt stronger, and in a sense, more alive. It was as if he became complete, as something that he had discarded years ago consumed him. And he hated himself for liking it.

Shinji felt a tug as Unit 01 was catapulted towards the surface.

"Too late... mustn't run away," Shinji muttered.

000

"Unit 01 is green, what the--" Lt. Kata reported. "Unit 01's synchro ratio is bordering on eighty percent, 3 points below Pilot Soryu's max average"

"He's not concentrating enough." Maya said with a smile. She cocked her head to a side to listen to a control officer. "Misato, Pilot Horaki has been secured and is now in transit."

"Colonel, we can't wait for her." Makoto removed his glasses and calmly wiped them clean.

"I understand." Misato looked at the screen which showed Shinji inside his entry plug.

_'The Angels have returned. We will need everything to win. Even against God's wishes, we must win.'_ Misato thought to herself as she fondled the crucifix hanging from her neck. _'For ourselves.'_

000

"Unit 40 ready to backup Unit 01," Yuri said in a sarcastic tone as both EVA platforms slammed to a stop on the surface, several blocks from each other. Yuri looked at her black monitors, which showed flashing signs saying: Connection Lost. "Um, I can't see a damn thing. Will someone give me my visuals."

A sudden explosion near her shook the EVA in its cage. Yuri became nervous as successive explosions rocked the cage. Yuri waited for several seconds before turning on her ocular cameras manually. The monitors blinked to life, showing the empty cityscape around her. Thick black smoke came from the ruins of Unit 01's cage. Yuri looked around for Unit 01 but failed to find it.

"Where's Unit 01?" Yuri asked. "Did it get vaporized?" She reflexively ducked her head as a bright flash of light illuminated the dark city, followed by thundering explosions. Yuri looked up and her eyes widened in disbelief. Above her were two figures shrouded in flashing lights, one was a white and black shape with multiple extensions, the other one was purple with neon green highlights. They were grappling with each other, claws tried to rip into each other, each hit produced a bright flare of energy from both as claws struck AT Fields.

Yuri saw the Angel take hold of Unit 01's hands, forcing its arms out as if crucifying it. A bright flash of light lanced out of the Angel and struck Unit 01's AT Field, breaking through it to hit the EVA dead on the chest at the same moment that the Angel let go of Unit 01's arms. The EVA fell from the sky and landed on some buildings on the other side of the lake. The Angel disappeared in a shimmer of light.

Yuri screamed in terror.

000

"Angel's ECM jamming intensifying!! Sir, we've lost all contact with all four Evangelions!" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix reported.

"All of our scanners, cameras, and relay stations within a ten klick radius of ground zero are jammed. Monitor and control ability is zero!" Lt. Miyuki Kata expounded.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the theater as impending doom became apparent. They were totally blind and deaf.

"AT Field is on the magnitude of the Seventeenth..." Makoto gasped out.

"Now what?" Maya asked her husband in disbelief.

"Now..." Makoto mumbled, "We pray for a miracle."

Misato remained silent, her knuckles turned white as she grasped her crucifix.

000

Yuri tried to access the MAGI13's main monitor and failed again, each time instead of displaying the MAGI's data on her screen the onboard computers kept displaying a "Connection Lost" sign. There was a time that the EVAs came with their own radar and sonar array and did not need to download such data from the MAGI supercomputers through wireless transmission. That was before someone thought it was an unnecessary waste of money and the subsequent EVA models were not fitted with personal sensor arrays and the current system was implemented. Who ever that someone was, Yuri began to damn him to Hell.

"Now what?" Yuri muttered as she backed her EVA against a building with her progressive lance held defensively in front of her.

000

Unit 31 finally arrived at Tokyo-3 and stopped to plug itself into one of the cable buildings. Henri saw several fires in the city and he feared the worst as he moved towards the nearest fire, Unit 31's cannon in its hands. Henri began looking for the Angel, not knowing that it was invisible. He had been trying to call Central Dogma several times and had gotten no response, which worried him.

He saw something glitter above him and he stopped. He tried to see what it was, but something in the back of his mind told him to dodge. He disregarded it and continued to watch as the bright light came nearer.

With a scream of realization, Henri brought his cannon up and began firing.

000

Rei lay on the hospital bed. Her red eyes stared at the ceiling's dimmed fluorescent lights. The ceiling shook and dust drifted down slowly.

"No." She whispered into the dark room.

000

"The Angel is using its AT Field to jam the EVA's ability to transmit and receive external data," Maya said in irritation "All our cameras and scanners in the area are inoperative. We can't gather any useful data from the EVA and the Angel. The EVAs may already be compromised."

Misato clenched her fists as she watched the map, which showed the last position of the EVAs. She had ordered the main monitor show the main map since its static-filled screen was giving her a headache. She needed an idea to save all of their asses. Too bad that sometimes the only thing one can do is trust in others.

"Shinji will pull through." Everyone looked at the main monitor as a transmission came from Hikari's Unit 17. Asuka looked at them from Unit 17's entry plug.

"Asuka! How did you-?!" Dr. Ibuki wondered how the girl changed Unit 17's personality data from Hikari's to hers.

"I didn't become Chief Pilot just because I'm pretty," Asuka replied with a smirk. "Please launch Unit 17 on number 14 catapult."

Maya, Makoto, Miyuki, and Antoinette looked at Misato, waiting for her answer.

Misato looked at the young woman who was her ward, the young woman who was like a daughter to her. She knew she couldn't send Asuka out there where she would be defenseless. "I -"

"Four of our pilots are out there," Asuka's smirk was gone and she became serious. "As Chief Pilot it is my duty to lead them."

Misato looked the girl in the eye. She knew the true reason the girl was willing to risk her life for.

"The monitors are down, no one can know we have five EVAs activated," Makoto noted from the side.

Misato took a sharp breath. She had to do her duty. "Make it so."

000

Kensuke looked up at the stars, then he decided there were too many of them so he closed his eyes and rubbed them. He opened his eyes again and the number of stars decreased significantly.

The last thing he remembered was lunging at the air with his knife, something grabbing his arm, then a bright light appearing right in front of Unit 15's face... Now his EVA was lying belly-up in some rubble inside Tokyo-3.

"Command, this is Unit 15, requesting extraction. My damage check shows 85 of all systems are down," Kensuke said, he felt his head throb as he waited for the response. None came. "Misato?"

Kensuke checked his communications system and found them undamaged but jammed.

"This sucks," he muttered as he slumped back into his seat and passed out.

000

Shinji coughed as he regained consciousness. He had forgotten that he could get himself seriously hurt in this job. He made Unit 01 stand up and he looked around, not at all surprised to find that he was on the other side of the lake from which he started. The fall certainly felt like it was worth several kilometers worth of inertia.

Shinji grimaced as he tried to look for the Angel. The Angel had been invisible but he had seen it, not through his eyes but by trusting Unit 01's instinct. The Angel had dropped its invisibility once Unit 01 had managed to strike it.

"Where is it now?" he asked the Beast. He had no illusions that the EVA was a machine. He had felt it bleed, he had felt its soul. He knew its secret. He trusted it because his mother's soul was in it. But he also feared it because he knew that the EVA hungered for souls.

Shinji looked in the direction that he felt the EVA wanted to face. He gritted his teeth and he opened the left shoulder fin to draw the progressive knife that was usually kept within. He stared in disbelief as the structure opened up and revealed that the knife carrier was empty.

Shinji nearly panicked as he looked up the predawn light. He felt the Angel right in front of him, not just because the ground shook with each step of the enemy but because he was just able to sense it. He needed a weapon but didn't have one. He could feel the Angel stop as it saw him, then the Angel charged. Shinji felt fear build up inside him; he needed a weapon!

Shinji screamed.

000

"Three minutes..." Antoinette muttered as she looked at her watch.

Miyuki calmly drummed her fingers on the surface of her workstation. Only she knew that her undershirt was drenched in nervous sweat.

A scream resounded over the communications system, catching everyone in surprise. A huge explosion soon followed. "Wha-- We have regained full contact with all Evangelions," Lt. Miyuki reported. "All wireless systems are back on line!?" The MAGI automatically updated the main monitor display.

"The target seems to be down," Makoto said as he adjusted his glasses nervously.

"Give me a full system analysis of the EVAs and pilot profiles starting with Unit 01!" Maya said, leaning over to Lt. Miyuki.

"Shinji?" Misato said, hoping that Shinji would answer. They knew that Unit 01 could operate independently of its pilot, so even if it's moving around it did not mean that the pilot was alive and safe.

"Yes?" Shinji replied, his voice tired. "Please wait."

Shinji looked at the now visible Angel, which lay crumpled in the ruins of a building. It looked like a headless white doll with overlong black arms with three claws each and short stubby legs which were also black. A white mask was attached to the main body, a jagged opening under two empty sockets served as a sickening parody of a mouth. Three pairs of white, branch-like extensions grew from its back like wings. The red core nestled below the head was cracked, and the Angel shuddered with pain.

Shinji had remembered feeling fear, then his consciousness was shoved aside as something bestial took over. He felt his EVA pull back its own AT Field then throw it forward in a devastating wave of destruction. He saw a hexagonal plane of light develop before it succumbed to the wave of his AT Field. A flash blinded him as the wave struck the Angel, throwing it back against some buildings.

Shinji tried to regain control as he felt himself on the edge of the berserker rage. He didn't want Unit 01 to go on a rampage and do something to him or to Tokyo-3.

Shinji felt a terrible headache, he wanted to scream. He could feel anger welling up inside him, and he knew it for what it was. The EVA was trying to corrupt him, to unleash its rage through him. He knew that he needed to destroy the Angel, what scared him was that he wanted to do it in the most violent manner possible. Shinji shut his eyes tightly and slowly exhaled, letting in the EVA's anger with each passing second.

Shinji took a deep breath, then released a roar, his EVA's jaw opening in time with his, its eyes flared white.

The screams finally ended.

000

"Target is silent. Pattern is negative. Target destruction confirmed." Lt. Miyuki Kata said in a shocked voice. Her eyes were still wide open from the shock of watching Unit 01 tear into the Angel with the frenzy of a chainsaw murderer. She wanted to run to the restroom and throw up. But her job was not yet finished. She looked over to where Lt. St. Croix had failed to control herself and had made a mess on the floor. Lt. Kata immediately fixed her eyes on her workstation.

"Shinji? Are you okay?" Misato asked, her voice tight with worry. The main monitor showed Unit 01 being held in a restraining embrace by Unit 17 in the lake which had turned red. White Angelic matter floated in the surrounding water.

"Yes," Shinji answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Sir," Lt. St. Croix interrupted, a hand wiped her mouth. "Unit 31's pilot... "

000

The hospital waiting room was quiet. Yuri, Juno, Allen, Kensuke were still wearing their plug suits and were sitting on the couch. Kensuke was holding an ice pack to his forehead, waiting for the painkillers to kick in. Yuri was rifling through a magazine, trying to vent her frustration at being left out of the action.

Juno looked sick, she had seen the medics bring Henri in. Blood was dripping out of Henri's nose and ears and his breathing was shallow and labored.

Allen, who had also seen his friend being brought in, was still in a state of shock. He was prepared to die, but he was not prepared to lose a friend.

Asuka paced the floor, LCL dripped from her hair and onto the floor. In Unit 17 she had passed Unit 31 on her way to find Shinji. The EVA was slightly better off than the Angel after Unit 01 was through with it.

They all jumped as the door opened. They all settled down again when a figure stepped into the light to reveal a teenaged boy wearing a blue and white plug suit. Asuka walked to him and hugged him, forgetting that the boy had been raised in a culture that frowned on such displays of affection. But even if she had remembered, she was too distraught to care. Shinji just tensed up and allowed her to continue hugging him, though his face had began to turn red.

"Who's that?" Juno whispered to Yuri. Yuri looked up and was shocked at such a public display of affection, then she remembered that she had a grudge with the boy.

"Disgusting," Yuri said as she returned to the magazine.

"So who is he?" Juno pressed on, intrigued by their Chief's reaction.

"Shinji Ikari, the Third Children," Yuri said in irritation. "Just because he's a senior pilot, they think he's such a hot shot," she grumbled.

"Ikari?" Allen asked in disbelief. He looked up and stared at Shinji and Asuka. Slowly, his face twisted into a mask of rage as his fragile self-control shattered.

Misato walked slowly towards the waiting room. She heard shouting and the sounds of a scuffle. She burst into the room and saw Shinji standing, a hand on his bruised cheek, a shocked expression on his face. Allen was on the floor with a swiftly developing black eye and being pinned down by Juno; he was glaring at Asuka and Shinji. Kensuke and Yuri were trying to hold a thrashing Asuka back. Asuka was virtually foaming at the mouth, screaming a stream of profanity in all the languages she knew.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?" Misato shouted at the pilots in rage. They all froze and looked at Misato. Misato's rage subsided as she remembered the important news she had to tell them. Once she was sure she had their attention, she swallowed to clear her throat then she began.

"Henri suffered injuries from engaging the Angel... About five minutes ago, he..." Misato found it hard to speak, a lump forming in her throat. "He's gone."

Misato's voice wavered and she turned away from the shocked crowd and walked out of the room before she fell apart in front of the children. She had lost another one.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Rei: One pilot lost. Dark plans are brewing. It's the anniversary of betrayal. Of sins committed in the past. Heaven and Hell 0:8 Dealing with Death. Is this what we're fighting for?


	8. Dealing With Death

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:8 - Dealing with Death

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

Pre-Read by Raymond Ryckman

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:8 - Dealing with Death**

Commander Crisostomo Santiago ran his fingers through his short black hair as he walked into the ethereal light of the white room. He suppressed a sneer as the familiar long table and the brace of generals came into view. God, he really hated the generals that made up the General Committee for Security. Once more he ignored them and focused his steely gaze on the Secretary General in his high-backed chair.

Santiago stopped exactly ten feet away from the table and gave a smart salute. "Major General Crisostomo Santiago, Commander NERV First Branch, United Nations Peace Keeping Forces. Reporting as ordered, Sirs."

"At ease, Commander. We are slightly... concerned. Adam was not supposed to have a soul. For all purposes, Adam was dead - and yet it was able not only to attempt an escape but also to defeat two of your EVAs," Reinholt spoke, his tone slightly disapproving. He didn't like unanticipated complications to the Project.

Santiago's expression did not change at the lack of preliminary questioning which normally preceded every meeting. "We are still investigating the incident, but we have a theory that it was due to prolonged contact with Unit 01. Some residual energy from Unit 01 was probably transferred to the Angel."

"You mean that Adam was able to somehow reconstruct a soul through its contact with Unit 01?"

"That is our only theory so far."

"Do you have a proposal to remedy the situation?"

"Yes. We suggest that we be allowed to bring in a specialist."

"Aren't all Angel and Evangelion specialists under our employ?"

"Not really, Sir."

Reinholt paused then his face lit up with realization. "Just make sure that she is aware of the consequences of treachery."

"Yes, Sir." Santiago didn't feel the need to add that she already had first hand experience with being betrayed.

"Very well, we will expect results Commander. We have also received reports that you lost a pilot today in combat with the Warrior." The old man stated wearily, moving away from the topic of the retrieval of Unit 01. Santiago wondered if the Secretary General would even bring up the matter of the facsimile Lance of Longinus and its premature exposure.

"Yes. As was foretold. The pilot would be interred this afternoon. For the reasons of morale, we have decided to keep the mourning period short for the other pilots."

"That is all Commander. You are to ensure that Adam will no longer pose a threat to the Project."

"Sir." Santiago saluted and turned on his heels. He marched out and started making plans.

000

**NERV 1st Branch  
Tactics and Planning Division  
Colonel Katsuragi's Office**

Misato sat at her desk, her head in her hands. "I don't have time for this," she muttered as her eyes fell on the report on her desk. It was Henri's personnel file. It had all his data from the time he was transferred to NERV-1 from NERV-3. All relevant data from before that period were non-existent.

Three knocks. Misato's eyes darted to the door while her hand went to her shoulder holster hidden under her jacket.

"Pilot Allen Alleyn," came the sullen introduction from the other side of the door.

Misato exhaled slowly to calm herself. This was another thing she would rather not deal with. At least his files were complete, though his psych profile could have been better. She took her hand from her gun and sat up straight. "Enter."

The door slid open and Allen gave a crisp salute. The boy was wearing his dress uniform- a white collared shirt with long-sleeves and red shoulder patches, white pants and black ankle-high boots. His beret sat rakishly atop his long brown hair which he had tied back in a brief ponytail. His black pistol belt was empty since Third Class Pilots were not rated to carry or use firearms. A bandage covered his left eye where Asuka had landed a punch. He stepped into the room and went to stand in front of Misato in the At Attention position. His eye looked straight ahead without actually looking at Misato.

Misato gave a wry grin, the psych report was right - Allen was a military kid through and through. "At ease, Pilot. I need to talk to you."

The door to the office slid shut.

000

Rei buttoned her shirt. She looked into the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection's eyes. She wore the clothes that she had worn when she entered the hospital the day before. She fingered the places where spots of blood had become dark stains on her white uniform.

She bit her lips nervously, a habit she picked up from Misato and Dr. Ibuki. Something was going on. She had began to feel them- the Divine Enemy, even without her EVA. She shouldn't be able to, especially since --

"Rei?" Asuka knocked on the bathroom door, her voice worried.

"I am ready," Rei answered as she took a final look at the mirror.

000

Shinji sat by Toji's bed, his head bowed and his hands clasped together, as if in prayer. Yuri stood looking out the window. Hikari, who was staying in the room before they arrived, had left to go on standby duty. Kensuke had stayed for a while before excusing himself to get some rest.

Yuri turned and watched Shinji's bowed head. This was the boy who had sent her to the hospital several years ago. She did not hold it against him since she knew he was just doing his job and it was just her bad luck to be caught in the fighting. He was also the one who crippled her brother but this too she didn't hold against him for the same reason. And now the irritation she felt for being upstaged by him was also gone, replaced by curiosity.

_'Who is he? Why can he make his EVA fly? What is it about him? I can feel his sadness. I- I feel sorry for him. Maybe I should comfort him, he is big brother's friend. No!!_' Yuri shook her head to clear the thoughts away as she noticed that she was acting like a girl in a shojo-manga.

Shinji was deep in thought. He remembered the Eighteenth Incident. It was two years ago this day that he committed his sin. Today was the anniversary of his father's death. Today was the anniversary of the death of so many people. Today was the anniversary of the beginning of the reign of the iron hand. The iron hand of the EVAs used by NERV to conquer the world.

Shinji thought of Allen, his hand tentatively touched his bruised cheek. The boy who had struck him in anger. The boy wanted him dead, he had felt it when Allen hit him. How many people wanted him dead? That didn't include a certain redhead who would probably tear him to pieces once she finds out--

Shinji and Yuri turned to the door to Toji's hospital as it opened. Asuka entered followed by Rei. Asuka had a haunted look in her eyes as she looked at Yuri, then at Shinji. Shinji thought Asuka looked like a scared child during the moment that their eyes locked.

"No change yet, huh?" Asuka said as she looked over to Toji, her hands on her hips. "We're going home to change for the funeral," She glanced towards the younger Suzuhara. "Then to the old cemetery and then we're going to say good bye to Henri. Want to come?"

"Um, no thank you, I need to watch over him," Yuri said uneasily as she nodded towards Toji.

"I think you should go Yuri, " all the children turned to see a tall man who looked like an older version of Toji who was dressed in a suit and had a lab coat slung over an arm. Yuri looked at her father, trying to think of a way to tell him that she hated going to funerals. She hated the very concept of human death. "Don't worry. I'll look after Toji, it's not as if he's going anywhere." They all laughed awkwardly at Mr. Suzuhara's joke.

000

The Chapel. A structure on a slope inside the geofront, it also served as a memorial to the more than seven thousand NERV soldiers and technicians who died during the First Wave. As most memorials in Tokyo-3, it was both a reminder and a warning - and most people associated with the First Wave would rather not have anything to do with them. The Chapel was in the form of a half-circle, un-roofed, and with many arched doorways. A solid black-granite wall ran along the back of the chapel and listed all the names of those who fell during the late spring of 2015 to the first day of 2016. Wooden pews followed the contour of the half circle. A brass sculpture of the eternal flame stood in the center of the Chapel. And now, in front of the eternal flame, a flag-draped coffin rested.

"A tricycle with one wheel missing," Allen said as he stared blankly at the coffin. A hand unconsciously touched the bandage over his left eye. _'Mother would have chewed me out for this.'_

"What?" Juno asked as she finished her prayer. She rose from kneeling at the pew and brushed off the dust from the knees of her white stockings. She was wearing her dress uniform consisting of a white long-sleeved, collared shirt; short, black skirt; those irritating white stockings; and black boots. The collar of her shirt was currently open. Allen wore the male version of the dress uniform - and looked comfortable in it, the result of being what Juno called a military brat. His jacket lay on top of hers on the pew in front of them, their berets on top of the jackets.

Juno rested her arms along the backrest of the pew they were sitting on. She felt empty, as if a big part of her life disappeared, yanked out by some unseen hand.

"Did you know that he was the very first friend I had here? Actually, he was my very first friend," Allen swallowed back the tears. A part of him was mad for showing weakness, but another part of him told him it was all right since he was still just a child. "It was raining when I got here. I thought it was good since it was like what I was feeling. I really missed my mom and I felt so gloomy. I liked the rain since it reminded me of what I felt. Then I felt someone pat me on the shoulder. I turned and there he was. He was carrying an umbrella and he was humming something. He asked me if I was also a pilot, when I said yes he gave a cheer and pulled me under his umbrella. At first I was angry because he was ruining my privacy, but something about him told me to calm down. It's as if his mere presence soothed me."

"Yeah, that was very much how he makes people feel. Do you remember that first day we all met? It was during a synch test. You two looked like lost sheep," Juno and Allen smiled at the memory.

"Yeah, and you looked as if you'd deck anyone that talked to you. I already told him that you're probably a bully or a bitch, but he still walked up to you and asked if you were a pilot or did you just like hanging around boys in tights."

Juno laughed, "I seem to remember that I slapped him."

Allen laughed, "You did, then he just said 'Well mademoiselle, I'm sorry if I insulted you, would you care for a cup of tea after the test?', heh, I can't believe you said yes."

"It's like what you said, there was something about him that put me at ease, no- not just at ease but rather happy."

"That's true," an adult's voice intruded into the children's conversation. Juno and Allen jumped and looked behind them. Misato stood there in her dress uniform, she carried a ridiculous looking bird with red feathery spikes for eyebrows and a metal collar. The image of a tough professional soldier was offset by the bird.

"This is Pen-pen, he's a hot springs penguin," Misato said in a tone that seemed to explain everything. Allen and Juno looked strangely at Misato. Misato sat down on the pew beside Allen.

"The last words he said to me was 'It wasn't your fault', " Misato paused. "He was in pain yet he managed to say it and he even gave me a smile. I regret not knowing him better. I barely knew him and my heart's aching. It must be Hell for the two of you who know him better than all of us put together." Misato bit her lips, a terrible sense of loss gnawed at her.

"Not really Misato," Juno said, surprising even Allen. "One thing that Henri always told us was to live is to laugh. He told us once that if he died, he didn't want anyone crying. If we become too sad, we know he'll scold us. The little jerk's a real fucking pain in the ass when he wants to be."

Allen and Juno smiled. They all became silent and watched the flag-draped, sealed coffin.

000

Kensuke lay on his bed, unable to sleep. He held his camcorder in one hand and looked through it at the ceiling which was littered with scale models hanging on thin wires. But his mind was not at what he was doing; it was somewhere else.

In his mind he was somewhere where Death thrived, where blood was spilled and tears were shed. He remembered his first battle.

**NERV (Hamburg) - Second Defense Line  
Germany, Spring of 2016**

Kensuke had always dreamt of fighting, of becoming a great soldier and a hero. When he learned of the Evangelion Project years before, he knew he wanted in. But that was before, before Toji's incident. He started to fear the monstrosity at that point and everything military. The bravado of childhood was replaced with the reality of adulthood. He became horrified of war during the Eighteenth Incident less than two months earlier, when the terrible reality of violence touched his own life. His plugsuit's right sleeve had been removed to accommodate his bandaged limb where shrapnel had ripped open his forearm from the back of his hand, all the way to his elbow. Kensuke shuddered as he remembered his last memory of that dreadful day. He had been holding his father's body when Unit 01 took to the skies along with the avian EVAs, terror ascending unto the Heavens. He lost consciousness a moment later due either to the blood loss or the effect of the combined AT Fields (no one knew which), and woke up in the field hospital hours later.

"You need to live." His father said that before he died. The men in black suits also said that when they gave him the offer. EVA was his hope for living. Now he was here far from his homeland, fighting for the future of humanity. After less than two months of training he was here along with several of his classmates to protect the Seventh Branch from attack.

Kensuke felt queasy. He knew the fight he was going into was not a fair one. Kensuke looked at the large positron cannon his EVA was holding, the latest in anti-matter technology. Definitely not fair, not by a long shot. He had once fantasized that when he would be ordered to kill, he would do it without hesitation. He was a soldier after all. But that was fantasy, this was reality.

Unit 15. His very own EVA, and he didn't even like it, didn't even accord it the affection he had once dreamt of giving his very own EVA once he got it, the affection he thought pilots give to their aircraft. The white unit was kneeling on one knee, the scaffolding of the improvised cage reaching up into its back. Beside it was Hikari's Unit 17, his backup for this mission. The loudspeakers warned of the beginning of the operation as the sun set and the stars began coming out. Kensuke climbed into the elevator to get to the entry plug. He could see Hikari climb into her EVA as the technicians helped him into his. Hikari told him that she joined up on the condition that NERV won't conscript her sisters who had also been chosen. Kensuke knew why she really joined: Toji had been reactivated as a pilot a day after Kensuke had been selected.

Once the entry plug had been inserted, the scaffolding fell away and a crane came to attach the wing array and the external battery packs.

"Units 15 and 17, proceed to sector 237653, you will rendezvous with Units 16 and 18 in flight. Unit 02 will be dropped behind the target area so be careful of your fire." Kensuke listened to the command and made his EVA spread its wings, the power meter started to count down from fifteen minutes. With a little mental manipulation, he made the EVA jump and spread its AT Field to counter the Earth's gravitational pull. He began to fly on his metal wings, like the proverbial Angel of Death. They told him he was had the highest synch ratio in his batch of recruits. It was almost as if he had been born to pilot EVA. He smiled grimly. They had said the same thing to Shinji.

Below him he could see the battle, the brilliant flaring of explosions and the rain of lights from the exhaust of missiles and tracer bullets. Hikari flew several kilometers behind him. The huge black EVA transport which carried Asuka's EVA overflew them and headed for the enemy's rear. Two more winged EVAs came flying over the horizon to join the battle. Intelligence reports said there were at least four division of "rebels" down there, facing two divisions of UN troops. He overlaid a tactical map over his main monitor. He saw blue and red tags appear by each target, blue for friend, red for foe. Kensuke exhaled and aimed, the targeting crosshairs meeting with the triangular pointer. He could see the red targets panicking as they looked up, they had been warned that EVAs would be sent against them but they didn't believe that the UN still had EVAs after the disastrous Eighteenth Incident. Now they would know their mistake as the four winged demons circled over their heads.

"Evangelions, prepare to open fire," it was Misato's voice over the communications link that sealed their fates.

Kensuke felt numb, as if he didn't care and didn't think, but inside, a little boy was crying for him to stop. He remembered his fantasies of being the heroic soldier. No hesitation. He was a soldier after all... He pulled the trigger and watched as the positron shell arc downward into the mass of metal and men. The little boy inside him wailed. He saw a bright flash of light as tanks and people were thrown high into the air. One shot. The little boy within him died. He began to empty his clip as he had been trained. Hikari was also doing the same. Between them, they destroyed a whole division while Units 16 and 18 destroyed another one. Asuka tore apart whatever remained.

The next day when Misato brought him and the other pilots to the secured battlefield, he became sick at the carnage he had wrought. The smell of smoke, gunpowder and burnt flesh and blood assailed his nose. The sight wasn't that great either. This was the final lesson in their training: They were the greatest killing force on the planet.

"You're the one who wanted to become a pilot," Misato had said as he retched along with the other three pilots. Asuka just looked on impassively, her arms crossed and her eyes cold.

000

Kensuke felt ill, he wanted to throw up as the memories of the battlefield returned. He went to the bathroom and washed his face.

"You're alive, they're not," he said as he stared at his reflection in the eye, "Deal with it."

He dried his face with a towel and began to take out his best uniform.

000

**Col. Katsuragi's Apartment**

Rei turned to the room she shared with Asuka while Yuri sat down on the couch, worried by where she was going. She didn't like death.

Shinji and Asuka stood on the balcony and looked out at the city below them. Shinji remembered the first time he and Asuka had been on the balcony together. Misato had ordered them to eat, breathe and sleep together in preparation to fight the Seventh Angel. They had moped together on the balcony, listening to their respective disc players while assorted underwear fluttered over their heads. Shinji blushed at that memory, not believing how naïve and innocent he had felt during those early days.

Asuka looked at Shinji, wondering why he was blushing. His dark blue eyes were intently watching something in the distance. She found his eyes cute, especially when he smiled. She thought she could stand there for hours and just lose herself in them. She could feel the tension that was gnawing at her melt away as she gazed at him.

_'Asuka.'_ Shinji's thoughts wandered to the beautiful young woman beside him. He remembered how she had embraced him the previous night, how he wanted to return the embrace but felt dirty at the thought of taking advantage of her moment of weakness. To his shame he already did it once and every fiber of his conscience screamed at him not to do it again. Asuka, the girl had driven him to confusion more than any other girl he knew. This girl had exasperated him, all those times that she had acted so wickedly, teasing him, yelling at him, picking fights with him. As far back as he could remember Asuka had been mean to him. Even when they had kissed that one time she had meant it as a cruel joke. His eyes were suddenly tinged with indignation, his forehead creased into a frown. He was nothing but a plaything for Asuka, a doll that she could bend to her wishes. He had been a fool for letting her do those things to him. He remembered the time she screamed out how she hated him, how he meant nothing to her. And no matter how much he tried to fight it, she had been his first real crush. It broke his heart to hear those words from her. Maybe she did deserve what he had done.

He stopped cold- this was the old argument within him, did he need to feel guilty or not? He remembers the hug she gave him the previous night and how she had fiercely defended him against Allen. Of course he was at fault! No one deserved what he did to Asuka!

Asuka had seen the flash of anger in Shinji's eyes, and guilt and remorse suddenly gripped her. Was he angry with her? She knew she had been a bitch during the year they lived together, but she's changed now! She didn't want him to be angry with her. She remembered the hateful words she had spoken to him, the painful strikes she had inflicted on him. Too many times she had abused his timidity and kindness. Of course he would hate her! She had been an insecure little brat. What if he thought that she was still the same?! Asuka felt horror as she remembered the incident when they woke up that day, the look of resignation on his face as he cringed for the slap she had involuntarily readied. How could he... Her eyes moistened, not seeing the change in his eyes from anger to sadness.

Shinji felt the need to tell her all about that morning of the Eighteenth Incident. That violation of trust, the theft of innocence. Shinji reluctantly turned to the young woman, his heart heavy with worry of losing her friendship. But he couldn't accept her friendship without telling her of what he did to her that day. And when he does tell her, she would push him away, and the possibility that she would kill him, or at least hurt him badly, was not very distant, considering her aggressive and violent nature.

The boy reluctantly faced Asuka, the desire to run away was strong, compounded with the horror of anticipating pain. Needless to say, Shinji was shocked to see her face. He didn't expect her to be teary eyed, her lower lip quivering with guilt and sorrow.

"Um, Asuka?" Shinji asked as Asuka bowed her head and sniffed.

"Sh-Shinji, I- I'm sorry," Asuka cried as she grabbed onto the startled boy's shirt.

"I'm sorry I acted like a bitch, I'm sorry, please forgive me! I'm sorry for all the bad things I did to you, I- I was..." Asuka's sobbing drowned out what she was saying.

Shinji stared at the quivering girl who had rested her head on his chest. He could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but something told him it was a very bad idea to pull away from her right now. The boy felt an ache in his heart, his resolve to confess drained out of him. So Shinji did the only thing he could do, he pulled her closer...

Yuri chose this time to look out the balcony. She stared wide-eyed at the two before remembering herself.

"And Misato was angry at Allen and Juno?" Yuri muttered to herself as she blushed and tried to ignore them.

Asuka felt Shinji's arms around her as she cried in relief and sadness, a part of her wanted to flinch and pull away at the contact - this part was stomped by the rest of her which wanted to swoon in the young man's embrace. She looked up and saw that Shinji had a wistful look in his eyes and was looking far away. The fear that was in her heart since that morning became acute.

"Shinji," Asuka said in a hoarse whisper, "I don't want to lose you. Not again."

"Hm?" the boy asked. Asuka turned her face up to him and frowned.

"Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you. I do have a reputation to uphold." She said, a hint of the old Asuka in her voice, the Asuka who was full of fire and could break boys into two for just thinking of touching her.

_'My Asuka...'_ Shinji thought as he looked down as Asuka gently pushed away from him and smiled at him. The boy repeated that thought in his mind, savoring the sound of it.

The red head wiped the tears from her eyes before leaning on the balcony railing to gaze out pensively at the city. Shinji smiled to himself, he had perfectly heard what Asuka had said before her threat.

Asuka felt Shinji looking at her and she turned her head, their eyes meeting. And for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes there was peace.

Rei finished buttoning her uniform to the collar then pulled her jacket over it. Her placid face belied the fact that she was worried about something... Rei tilted her head a little and felt something that made her sad and happy at the same time. Rei looked at the bedroom mirror and smiled sadly. She could worry about the other Children later.

000

The whine of a passing hover jet made Commander Santiago look up. He stood up from kneeling in front of the grave marker. Around him were other pillar-like grave markers, most of them had bouquets and small UN and Japanese flags. Most of the people had already left the cemetery so Santiago thought it was time to go. He had a funeral to attend to.

"Good bye, Alicia. Don't worry, I'll look after the kid." Santiago started walking away, his hands in his pockets.

000

Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Yuri walked towards the old cemetery in silence. Asuka and Shinji had also changed to their dress uniforms - complete with the red berets and jackets, Shinji had been slightly embarrassed from the compliment Asuka and Rei had given him about looking good in a uniform. Shinji did feel uncomfortable by the fact that Asuka had insisted he wear his gun. They had then gone over to the Suzuhara's apartment building so that Yuri can change before they go to the funeral.

Yuri and Shinji were both carrying bouquets that they had bought from a flower shop. Yuri had been a little reluctant while buying her bouquet. She was still uneasy about visiting places of death.

At the entrance to the cemetery, Shinji turned to the girls.

"Um, could I please have some time to myself?" Shinji asked uneasily.

"Sure, we understand," Asuka gave him a cheerful smile at him.

"Yes," Rei smiled sympathetically, "tell them 'thank you' for me."

Yuri nodded and watched him walk away. She looked and saw that the other girls were looking at her expectantly. Yuri looked down at the bouquet she held in her arms then returned their gaze. Yuri nodded sadly then turned towards her grandfather's grave.

Shinji knelt down and placed a bouquet at each marker. He knew that both graves were empty. There was nothing to bury. Shinji felt the emptiness within his heart, the desire to fill the void was strong but he didn't know what to fill it with.

"Mother. Father. I--," Shinji stopped. He didn't know what to say. He had little memory of his mother. His mother died when he was five. He also knew that the closest thing he had to his mother were Unit 01 and Rei. One had taken her life, the other her form. Most of the memories of his father were of them locking horns or ignoring each other. He knew that he had hated his father, but he also knew that he had loved him and desired his love. Shinji leaned forward and rested his forehead on his father's marker.

Shinji had always dreamt and hoped that he and his father would make their peace. But they never did. Shinji felt the void in his heart once more and he began to sob.

Yuri placed the bouquet at her grandfather's grave. She looked at it and she couldn't believe that underneath it was a man that had sat her on his knees and read her stories. Yuri sighed and looked up at the clouds. The bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds seemed to remind her of life.

She remembered her grandfather popping up at the school to bring her lunch box. Grandfather teaching her and Toji how to do their homework. Grandfather taking them to the movies and to the park.

"Gramps," Yuri whispered. She remembered her last memory of him. Her grandfather and some doctors were going to move her from the NERV hospital to Tokyo-2. Her grandfather comforted her since her father was still working in the research department. Toji had been transferred only hours before her. He should have transferred several weeks before but he refused to be moved without her. It took Hikari to get him finally moving. The attack started as the sirens and defense guns went off. The hospital shook as the JSSDF bombed them. The hospital tilted as it began to collapse. Her grandfather threw himself on top of her to shield her from the falling debris. When Yuri woke up hours later, her grandfather was gone.

"I'm sorry I didn't go to your funeral and never visited," Yuri said with sorrow. "I just couldn't accept that you're gone..."

Rei and Asuka were by the cemetery gate, Asuka was sitting atop the low wall kicking her heels against the wall while Rei was content to just lean against it. They can see Yuri and Shinji in the distance and the sea a little farther off.

"How do you feel?" Rei asked.

"Are we going to play this game again?" Asuka grumbled.

"Yes." Rei turned her head to her friend. "If we had not played it in the first place, we would never have been friends. You would still be calling me names and I would still think you are a noisy nobody."

Asuka sighed. The Game was her idea in the first place.

"I feel terrible." Asuka looked up at the clouds. "And what's worse, it's not because Henri died but because ... people I like may die. I don't feel so Goddamned secure anymore. I know it's very selfish and self-centered, but it's how I feel."

Asuka jumped down, took a blade of grass and started ripping it apart. "I knew the Angels could get to us but ever since it ended I always believed that we won't die, we're the good guys. We'll get banged up, even go a little insane, but never die. I don't know what God plans for us but we cannot die. And now..." with a little growl Asuka threw the bits of grass into the air. She stared off in Shinji's direction with her lower lip thrust out. She fought off the desire to go to his side as she saw him slump down on a grave marker. Taking a deep breath she glanced sideways and found Rei also staring off towards Shinji's direction.

"How 'bout you? How do you feel?"

"I feel empty." Rei's shoulders slumped.

Asuka waited for what seemed like an eternity before her brow knitted.

"Rei, you know you have to elaborate. If you don't, I won't play this game with you anymore." Asuka huffed and crossed her arms in her best impression of a bratty child.

Rei giggled a little before becoming sad again. "Everyone is sad because they are afraid they would lose someone or because they have lost someone important to them. I do not have anyone like that."

Asuka was taken aback by her friend's statement. Then she gave a wry smile and a sad, crafty look in her eyes. "So you mean, we're nothing to you?"

Rei looked at Asuka, her knees weakening from the weight she had suddenly felt on her shoulders, or more precisely - the weight tugging on her heart. Rei fell on her hands and knees, her red beret falling off her head.

"Me, Misato, Shinji... Hell, I thought Commander Ikari meant something to you..." Asuka held a faraway look in her eyes as she watched the tormented girl before her.

Rei remembered a memory she inherited, of a boy kneeling just inside the emergency panel of an entry plug. She had thought that the boy was someone else. "Don't say you have nothing else," the boy said to her. Rei wiped away the tear with the sleeve of her jacket.

"You all right?" Asuka asked as Shinji and Yuri started walking towards them. She extended an arm to help Rei up.

"Thank you Pilot of Unit Two," Rei said with a smile.

"Think nothing of it Wonder Girl," Asuka replied, pleased that she had played the game.

000

Misato looked up as Asuka, Shinji, Rei, and Yuri arrived at the chapel. Allen slept with his head on her lap. Juno was sprawled out in an unladylike manner on another pew and Misato had thrown her jacket over the sleeping teenager. Both Children had been unable to sleep since the end of the battle earlier that day and they had finally succumbed to fatigue. Misato put a finger to her lips to signal the new arrivals to keep quiet.

Yuri saw the sleeping teenagers and as if her body finally registered its need for sleep, she slumped forward drowsily. Shinji reached out and caught her. The young girl smiled up at the boy, _'Maybe, he's not all bad...'_ she thought as she fell asleep in the boy's arms.

"Let me have her," Rei said as she took a seat on a pew, take the smaller girl into her arms and let Yuri sleep with her head on her lap. Shinji looked at Misato and Rei. To him they looked like mothers caring for their children. Mothers sheltering tired children.

Shinji noticed that Asuka had taken a seat on a pew far from Misato and Allen. Her eyes were focused on the coffin. Asuka gave Shinji a wan smile as he took a seat beside her.

"Asuka, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Shinji... nothing at all." She leaned forward, her elbows rested on her thighs. Asuka's head slumped forward and her hair veiled her face from the boy beside her. Not that she needed to. He knew perfectly well what she felt. For some reason, their synchronicity seemed to have intensified. But now instead of just physical feedback and surface thoughts, he could actually sense her emotions.

With some apprehension, Shinji placed his hand on Asuka's shoulder. He blushed as Asuka covered his hand with hers and gave his hand a little squeeze.

"We were never meant to die..." the redhead whispered.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Misato: As the first cycle ends, the last actors are introduced. In the shadows, secrets are revealed. And the sorrow of the innocent must be drowned in forgetfulness. Heaven and Hell 0:9 A Prodigal Daughter, a toast to the departed.


	9. A Prodigal Daughter

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 0:9 - A Prodigal Daughter

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

Pre-Read by Raymond Ryckman

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 0:9 - A Prodigal Daughter**

Shinji sat on the grassy hillside, Central Dogma's pyramid lay far below him. Overhead were the concrete undersides of the building of Tokyo-3. It had been several hours since he had moved from his position, he ignored the people who had gone in to pay their respects to the fallen pilot, who seemed to have been well-liked.

Asuka's words kept repeating themselves in his mind: "We were never meant to die..."

"But..." Shinji grabbed his head. Nine white EVAs circled the red sky like scavenging birds over carrion. Unit 02 impaled by spears. Misato kissed him - an adult's kiss, her blood was in his mouth. His mother welcomed him back home. A warm, white light.

_'I remember now. But was that a dream? Or is this?'_

"AAARGH!!" Shinji screamed at the cold wetness that touched the back of his neck. He turned and saw Rei. She held a can of ice-cold tea in one hand and a can of juice in the other.

"Shinji, Asuka is looking for you." Rei smiled at him as she handed him the can of tea.

000

**Tokyo-3 United Nations Memorial Cemetery**

The cemetery became necessary after the Eighteenth Incident when the UN found its hands full of dead soldiers and not enough funds to transport them to other cemeteries. It was composed of terraced hillside that overlooked Tokyo-3. Black granite grave markers rose like dark sentinels upon the manicured lawns. Trees spaced evenly amongst the graves provided inadequate shade from the eternal summer sun. This cemetery was much more picturesque than the municipal cemetery by the sea where Shinji's parents were buried.

An honor guard stood at attention beside a small group of mourners, most of them off-duty technicians assigned to Henri's EVA. There were also the control officers and other base personnel. The mourners milled about and talked in hushed voices as they tried not to look at the empty grave that waited for its occupant. Some distance away, under a tree, a man and a woman stood watch.

"Hmm, quite an expensive charade, eh, Commander Santiago?" the woman observed as she pulled a strand of brown hair away from her dark sunglasses. A short, black leather trench coat covered her rather casual attire.

"Yes, doctor. It was quite fortunate that you arrived several hours before you were supposed to."

"Hmph. I thought I would spend it with some old friends, not salvaging data."

"Anyway, about your cover story..."

"I know, I know," the woman said as she watched the hearse drive up to the burial party. "I just came in, and I have not been doing anything dirty for NERV for the last few hours."

The man's brow knitted in annoyance. The woman looked at him in amusement.

"You know Commander, you remind me of Commander Ikari. You have no sense of humor."

He gave her a scathing look. "I am no traitor," he walked towards the funeral, leaving the woman under the shade of the tree.

"We'll see about that, my dear Commander. We'll see," she smiled knowingly to herself.

000

Shinji stood numbly as a chaplain held a quick service. He didn't know how to feel since he hadn't really met Henri and only knew him as a pilot. Looking at the coffin, the only thing that he felt was the guilt from knowing he should have done something to prevent the death. They kept saying he was the best they had, and yet he had not been able to stop one death. He shuddered and glanced sideways at Asuka who stood staring off into nowhere. He felt a lump form in his throat as he watched her, and wondered if he would be cursed to go to her funeral someday. He then looked at Misato, then Rei, wondering the same thing. Shaking his head clear of the morbid thoughts he watched the chaplain do the sign of the cross and beckoned for Juno. Juno stepped up to stand by the head of the coffin. Her hand gently caressed the flag draped surface before she turned to face the mourners. After she said her eulogy, Juno stepped away from the coffin and gave a salute. Commander Santiago nodded and two soldiers began the ritual folding of the flag. The mourners saluted, Shinji was a little uncomfortable at playing soldier as he saluted. Shinji nearly jumped as the honor guard fired their rifles into the air. The soldiers reverently handed Commander Santiago the flag which was to be delivered by courier to Henri's family.

Finally, Henri was laid to rest in a soldier's grave. Far from the country he called home, away from the people he loved, only the tears of those he called comrades to ease his passing.

The mourners had started to disperse, walking away alone or in small groups. Soon, only the pilots, the Tactical officer, and a hot-springs penguin were left at the grave.

"Hyuga-- I mean Colonel Hyuga and Doctor Ibuki weren't here," Shinji observed awkwardly, breaking the silence.

"They've got important things to do," Hikari replied when no one else spoke up. She glanced at Asuka who was staring blankly at the tamped down earth of the grave.

"Oh, well, I guess it's time," Misato said perkily as she scooped up Pen-pen and walked towards the limo NERV had provided for the transport of the Children.

"Time for what?" Yuri asked, wanting to get her mind off the dead.

"To give Henri a soldier's goodbye of course!" Misato turned and winked at the Children who looked blankly at her.

"You do know of course that most of them are under aged."

"Well, as long as nobody tells..." Misato trailed off as she finally noticed that the voice was that of an adult. "WHA-?!"

"Good afternoon to you too, Misato," a woman with a black leather coat smiled at her from behind dark glasses.

"Who?" Misato looked at the dark haired woman, feeling a sense of familiarity.

"Ritsuko!" Shinji exclaimed with a smile as he broke away from the other Children and went to his guardian. The woman smiled back and drew Shinji into a hug which drew a blush from the teenager.

"Shinji, you should have told me that you were coming back to NERV," she admonished him as she held the boy at arms length to inspect him. "You've grown since last month." The boy blushed once more as Ritsuko hugged him again.

"Ritsuko?" Misato blinked in astonishment. It had been a year since she last saw her friend and in that time Ritsuko had grown her hair longer and allowed her natural hair color to come out.

"Yes, in the flesh," Ritsuko said as she pushed her glasses up onto her head, revealing her green eyes and the mole under her left eye. She smiled at Misato from over Shinji's shoulder. "My, you're slow today. Haven't got your quota of beers yet?"

"Well..." Misato gave a vague wave with a bland look on her face.

"It's nice to see you again, Doctor Akagi," Asuka interrupted, her hand held out to the doctor. Ritsuko shook the hand the girl offered, which allowed Asuka to pull Shinji away from her grasp with her other hand and push him behind her.

"How's Tokyo-2," Asuka smoothly added before Shinji could react to being pulled away from the doctor's affectionate embrace.

"If you're asking when I'm going back, then the answer is 'not soon enough'. I've been hired back indefinitely as a consultant." Ritsuko smiled as she noticed the cheerful mask on Asuka's face slip a little. She could also tell that by the way Misato's grip on Pen-pen tightened, that the raven haired beauty hadn't known about her reactivation.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Akagi," Rei gave a polite bow.

"To you too, Rei," Ritsuko smiled at the girl. Misato was shocked that the smile seemed sincere. "I see you've been learning." She and Rei shared a smile. Misato began to wonder who this person was and what she did to the real Ritsuko. Ritsuko went over to the other Children. "Hmm, let's see if I can guess your names."

"Hikari and Kensuke, I already know you two from before. The girl with the pony tail is Yuriko Suzuhara, Toji's little sister. I've seen you before too. Red head's Juno Hurst, and you must be Allen Alleyn. Pleased to meet you." Ritsuko gave a brief nod to each pilot. "Which makes him," she turned to the grave "Henri Montblanc."

From the sides of her eye Ritsuko noticed Allen and Juno stiffen from her callous reference to the fallen pilot. She smiled ruefully at herself. It was best not to get too attached to the two of them.

"Well, Misato, it was nice meeting you again but I do have to settle in. Let's go to a bar tomorrow, I know this great one an acquaintance of mine told me about. See you later."

Misato nodded dumbly, things were going too fast for her but not too fast as not to recognize that someone out there was screwing around with her life. She watched as Ritsuko got in a waiting limousine and drove away. _'Wait a minute'_ - "Wasn't that the Commander's car?"

Ritsuko looked out the back window as the Children piled into the limo reserved for the pilots. A little smile formed on her face as she noticed that Asuka still stood where she had left the Chief Pilot. The redhead had her hands on her hips as she belligerently watched Ritsuko's car drive away. Shinji stood uncomfortably behind Asuka.

Ritsuko lowered her dark glasses over her eyes and gave a short laugh. It seemed as if her ward was still smitten with the Red Demon.

Commander Santiago didn't even raise an eyebrow or show any reaction, instead, he continued to read the dossier in his hands.

000

"Whore," Asuka muttered under her breath.

"Um... Asuka?"

Shinji nearly froze as Asuka glared at him. She quickly turned her eyes away and tried to hide the hurt look on her face at what she viewed as Shinji's betrayal. "What!?"

Shinji was scared at Asuka angry tone, and suddenly felt very guilty.

"Asuka," Shinji touched her arm, a slight terror running down his spine at his brazen action. Asuka looked up in surprise since this was the second time Shinji had actually touched her willingly within the day. Their eyes met, dark sea blue to light sky blue. He could feel the firm muscles of her arm tense under the fabric of her jacket. Asuka held her breath at the intensity of his eyes, he was so near that she could smell him, the scent of him that laid under the familiar scent of soap and LCL. Her eyes turned liquid and expectant as she imagined that she could feel the warmth of his being through the palm pressed against her clothed arm.

Shinji could feel his throat dry up, he could feel her warm breath which issued forth from her slightly parted, ruby red lips. "I--"

"Get a room you two!" Misato shouted in mock annoyance, a wide grin plastered on her face. The two teenagers quickly took a step back from each other as they blushed, and they could hear several people giggling inside the car.

The two walked towards the car, their steps in harmony. Asuka didn't even mention the hand which Shinji still hadn't removed from her arm.

000

**Commander's Office  
NERV 1st Branch**

Commander Santiago stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up one whole wall of his office, looking out at the Geo-front's forested park. Off in the distance, moonlight filtered through the glass bottom of the Ashinoko Lakes into the Geofront.

"Sir, armored buildings at Block 246 to 257 would be completed in 145 hours instead of the proposed 120. Otherwise everything else would be on schedule. And I was able to hide the new construction bill in the reconstruction budget."  Col. Makoto Hyuga adjusted his glasses as he read the report.

"Good. And the Project?"

"Nominal, sir. Personality data had already been entered. The Fifth would be ready in two weeks, complete with the new memory data. That means one whole month sooner than was previously expected."

"Excellent. And the Angel?"

"Dr. Akagi is still doing the preliminary readings. She said that she'll have a solution in two days."

"Very well. That should keep the Committee happy. Is that all?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." Commander Santiago waited until he heard the door slide close behind his departing colleague. He walked over to his chair, plopped down on the padded seat, tilted back his head, and sighed. He had heard of Dr. Akagi's genius, but how can she possibly solve their problems in two days? His well developed danger sense was warning him that the good doctor had something up her sleeve. He'll have to compensate for any of her actions in his plans.

"We're all going to Hell for this."

000

"We're home!" Misato chirped as she shook off her boots and padded into the apartment in her stockings. Pen-pen squawked in relief as he rushed off to use the facilities.

The Children filed in after her in silence. There was an awkward moment when they all tried to remove their shoes at the same time at the cramped foyer. Allen had to bite his tongue in order not to yell at Shinji who accidentally hit him in the ribs when Hikari accidentally fell into Shinji while she tried to take off her boots. They all felt that today was a solemn day for the dead, not only for Henri, but for all the people that died during the Eighteenth Incident, and tried not to ruin the mood with childish arguments.

"Oh, boys, don't take off your shoes yet," Misato cried out as she rushed back to the foyer. She handed Shinji her credit card. "Go to the store and tell them I sent you, they know what to do."

"All three of us?" Shinji glanced uncertainly at Allen, who was giving him the cold shoulder.

"Yep!" Misato beamed at them with her most winning smile.

"You still won't tell us what this is all about, right?" Kensuke probed, they had tried to get her to tell during the car ride but since she won't answer they all had to endure the uncomfortable silence all the way to Misato's apartment.

"Yep," came the cheerful response.

"Okay, we're off then," Kensuke grabbed Shinji and Allen by their elbows and dragged them out. Allen shrugged off Kensuke's hand the moment they reached the elevator, Kensuke just looked at Allen coolly as he pressed the elevator button. Allen shifted his eyes and looked disdainfully at the Shinji. Kensuke just gave a sound that made him sound like a tired old man. The elevator bell rang as the car reached their floor.

000

**Somewhere in NERV 1st Branch**

The room's walls were made of armored glass looking into tanks filled with LCL. In the middle was a large glass tube, also filled with LCL. Figures were in the tanks and one was in the tube. A woman sat at a computer console and typed in commands. She stopped and picked up her NERV(tm) mug and saw that it was empty. She frowned at it then stood up to get some more from the coffee maker behind her.

"So how does it feel to get your hands dirty?" The woman stopped, stifling a shriek of surprise as a woman dressed in a black leather coat, white silk shirt, jeans, and black leather shoes separated herself from the shadows.

"Doctor Akagi," the woman bowed as Dr. Akagi stepped into the light near the central tube.

"Has the new DNA specifications been entered?" Ritsuko said, a hand caressed the cool surface of the transparent tube until she felt the attached metal plate. She traced the lettering on the metal plate with her finger; it read: DUMMY PROJECT / FIFTH CHILDREN / ??

"Yes, we expect one week before current configuration changes."

"Hmph, why don't you make him female, let's see them recognize him then." Ritsuko stepped forward and refilled the woman's mug. She took a sip before returning it to its owner with a smile. "You still make the best coffee I've ever tasted."

"Thanks. Er, we've tried changing his gender. But for some reason, he reverts back to male." The woman said as she drank her coffee.

"Hm, the Soul is powerful enough to change the body?" Ritsuko stood facing the tube, her arms crossed. "Congratulations for cracking the hair-color code though, having one kid with weird hair is enough."

"Yes, but we still have trouble with the eyes."

"What? I saw him earlier, his eyes were black."

"Permanent laser attached contacts."

"Clever." Ritsuko said, impressed at the woman's ingenuity.

"Um, Ma'am..."

"Yeah?"

"I had no right to tell you what was right or wrong." The woman said, still feeling guilty for trying to act so righteously during their discussion on the ethics of using dummy plugs several years before.

"..." Ritsuko's face became sad before she smiled again. "That was a long time ago."

"Um, want to have some dinner?" The woman said not sure how to relate to the older woman now. Ritsuko smiled at her protégé and held her arm in arm.

"Of course, Maya. And while we're at it you can tell me all about my little namesake."

000

Beer. Lots of it. The boys stared at the six crates, each crate held twenty-four cans of Misato's favorite brand. Shinji briefly recalled that for a while Misato had switched to another brand, he felt annoyed that he can't remember the brand name.

"Let's see... The Colonel ordered six crates of Yebisu; three packs of crackers; two one kilo bags of peanuts - one salted, one unsalted; four bags of potato chips; eight packs of microwave takoyaki; oh, and a large box of pocky. Ah, what flavor does she want?" The girl behind the counter ticked off the items while trying hard not to look as if she was staring at the cute boy with dark hair and the kick-ass uniform. The other two also wore the same uniform but in her opinion they didn't look as good as the dark haired one.

"Chocolate." Shinji automatically answered. He felt numb as he suddenly got an idea of what Misato was planning. The girl skipped to get the item, hoping that he saw her bounce. She frowned a little as the kid with the long hair frowned at her while the object of her attentions just stared in his dreamy way at the stack of groceries.

"Wow!" Kensuke whistled at the stack of groceries. Light glinted off his glasses. "And I thought I got dragged along just to make sure you guys didn't kill each other."

"Here you go Lieutenant..." the girl intentionally trailed off and hoped that the boy will say his name since NERV didn't believe in nameplates on their uniforms. She felt her heart skip as he looked at her with his deep blue eyes.

"Um, please, just call me Shinji."

"Sure thing, Shinji," she said dreamily as she punched up the purchases. "Are you sure you wouldn't need any help?"

"I guess-"

Kensuke elbowed Shinji aside and looked at the girl sternly, the lights glinting off his glasses made him look sinister. "We will be fine, miss."

The girl would have felt annoyed if she hadn't been scared by the bespectacled boy. The boy had the look about him that hinted that killing her would have just been a slight annoyance. She bowed deeply, "I didn't mean to pry -- I'm sorry!"

"How much?" Kensuke didn't even acknowledge the apology. They quickly paid and got their purchases, Shinji apologizing hurriedly for his friend's rudeness.

"Kensuke, what was that all about?" Shinji complained as they walked home, each boy laden down by the groceries.

Kensuke stopped, turned to make sure that they were alone on the street, and then looked at Shinji and Allen. "You must not give your address, phone number, or give any indication of your work and/or habits to strangers."

"I know all that, it's all in the handbook, 'sides, I think that girl already knows who the Colonel is and where she lives," Allen groused.

Kensuke focused on the puzzled Shinji. "'All personnel rated with weapons are to carry their weapons on their persons at all times'. Shinji, do you know why we have that rule?"

"Um, they're not really going to attack us or anything, right?" Shinji gave a naïve, confused smile.

"Look, both of you, what I am about to tell you is confidential and has been hushed up by all involved departments. You must promise not to tell anyone." The three of them drew together after the two had given their word.

"Four EVA pilots had been assassinated in the past two months." There was an awkward pause.

Allen started to laugh nervously. "That's crap Aida! How can they cover up something as big as that! And how in the world did you get that info anyway."

Kensuke gave a shrug and started to walk back to Misato's apartment. Shinji followed after Allen, and he often looked behind him nervously. He knew that for NERV, nothing was impossible.

"We're back!" Shinji announced as they piled into the kitchen and dropped the groceries onto the table. Allen and Kensuke collapsed tiredly into chairs and massaged their arms while Shinji immediately pulled out the beer compartment of the fridge and started stuffing the beer in.

"Man, Shinji, how'd you get so strong? You used to be such a wimp you know?" Kensuke complained, but was still impressed with his friend. Shinji just grinned sheepishly and then shrugged as if to say he also didn't know. He faced back towards the fridge, screamed in surprise, and fell back on his butt. Asuka grinned at him from the other side of the sliding compartment of the fridge.

"At least you're still the jumpy little boy I know," Asuka beamed at Shinji. Kensuke's glasses flashed, hiding his expression. Allen frowned and turned away. "Misato says to bring eleven sake cups to the living room," Asuka stood up and turned to go back into the living room.

"Eleven?" Kensuke verified since Shinji seemed to be hypnotized by Asuka's skirt.

"Yup, Four Eyes," Asuka answered as she closed the sliding door to the living room with a sway of her hips. A gasp and an uncomfortable look on Shinji's face told Asuka that it had the desired effect.

"Sometimes I really hate her," Kensuke commented, once Asuka's footsteps were no longer audible.

"Eh?" Shinji replied absently. Kensuke and Allen just rolled their eyes.

Misato, the Children, and the penguin stood in a semi-circle in front of an impromptu shrine with a framed picture of Henri which had black ribbon fixed to its corners. The Children nervously eyed each other as Misato finished filling their cups with the strong smelling alcohol. Misato filled her own cup and then filled the cup in front of Henri's picture. Misato bowed toward Henri's picture before she went to her place in the circle.

"For Henri!" Misato declared as she raised her cup up and downed the sake.

"Henri!!" The Children echoed firmly and downed their own cups. Asuka and Kensuke were the only ones who didn't start coughing as the fiery liquid burned its way into their belly.

"So now you're going to get us drunk to forget the pain of losing a comrade?" Kensuke commented as he stood on Misato's left, one hand held his sake cup while the other was tucked in his trouser pocket. "Ritualistic drinking binge?"

"It works for me," Misato stuck her tongue out at the incredulous teenager as she went to the kitchen for the beer. "Rei, please help me serve." The blue mopped girl nodded and followed the older woman, her face a bit flushed from the sake.

"And what if the kids can't handle the booze?" Kensuke wryly noted as he poured himself some more sake.

"I think we should prepare some barf bags," Asuka replied as she repeatedly slapped Shinji's back to stop his coughing. "Hey, Yuri, you all right?"

Yuri nodded empathetically from where she sat on the floor, but she immediately regretted this as she clutched her throbbing head. Juno grimaced. She just wanted something to scrape the awful taste from her tongue as she groggily made her way to the couch.

"Allen?" Asuka turned to the boy who silently stood opposite her. Allen looked up, his eyes glassy. He nodded slightly before going over to sit beside Juno.

000

Makoto walked over to the bar where his wife and Dr. Akagi were drinking and talking. He ordered a drink before sitting on a stool beside his wife.

"It's nice to meet you again Colonel Hyuga," Ritsuko greeted.

"Dr. Akagi," Makoto greeted before he leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. Maya touched her cheek and looked questioningly at him, faintly aware that she was blushing. He had never kissed her in public before except during their wedding.

Ritsuko smiled into her glass and allowed the two to share an embarrassing yet romantic silence.

"Ah, Dr. Akagi," Makoto started clumsily, "What do you think of the Adam problem?"

Makoto blinked as Maya and Ritsuko frowned at him.

"Makoto, how insensitive can you get?" Maya asked in mock indignation while Ritsuko laughed lightly.

"Makoto, I'd rather not discuss shop right now." Ritsuko waved for the bar tender. "We'll find something else to talk about."

"Well, OK." Makoto said in embarrassment, "What should we talk about?"

"I was wondering about that Alleyn boy," Ritsuko asked.

"Huh? You've met him?" Maya looked surprised.

"Uh-huh. So, is he who I think he is?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Makoto said as he stared into his glass. He felt sorry for the kid. "He's one of the Sixth Children, the second one to be chosen from that batch during the Conscription."

"And the son of the late Commander Alicia Alleyn, former commander of the Beijing Branch." Maya finished.

"I thought the name was familiar..." Ritsuko's mind began multi-tasking. "So his mother was the one who commanded the EVAs that attacked us during the Eighteenth Incident."

"Yes. Er, can we talk about something else?" Maya quickly interrupted.

"I agree, no sense in dredging up the past." Ritsuko smiled as Maya sighed in relief. As they talked about mundane things like the movies and politics, Ritsuko's brain was still in multi-task mode. She began creating scenarios on why someone with so much aggression towards the personnel of NERV Headquarters -- No, Ritsuko corrected herself, NERV First Branch; why was he assigned to it?  "...so the main concern of the UN should be to rehabilitate the--" Ritsuko blinked, as her brain demanded her attention as it found a possible scenario.

"Dr. Akagi?!"

Ritsuko looked up as Maya and Makoto looked at her in concern. "Sorry, when I drink too much, I start getting absent minded. Where was I?"

"Are you sure you're all right? We could take you home if you want?" Maya offered.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Ritsuko gave her most cheerful smile.

"If you say, so Dr. Akagi," Makoto swirled the drink in his glass, he looked away from her so that she won't see the suspicion in his eyes.

"Makoto, what do you think of Misato's plan?" Maya broke the silence, wondering if the discomfort was due to her relationships with these two people.

"Like all of Misato's plans, it just might be crazy enough to work." Makoto smirked, as Misato's aide during the First Wave he had intimate knowledge of just how crazy Misato's plans can get.

"Too true," Ritsuko believed in her friend's unusual luck. "That is, of course, if the kids don't get alcohol poisoning."

Everyone paused in embarrassment and looked at their glasses. They wondered if Misato could actually control the kids if she herself was too drunk to notice.

000

" I LUUV YOUUU " Asuka screeched out drunkenly as the final refrain of the music coming from the karaoke machine began to die out. "Thank you! Thank you!" Asuka cried out happily as the others clapped half-heartedly from where they were sitting around her.

"My turn!" Juno cried as she stood up with Allen in tow.

"Juno!" Allen protested as the other Children cheered them on.

"Well, it's going well," Misato noted from the kitchen table where she was nursing a drink.

"You mean no one is fighting yet?" Rei asked as she took out some beer for the others.

"Yep. Oh yeah, how many beers have you had?"

"One."

"Only one?"

"Yes. I dislike the taste."

"Oh." Misato sounded disappointed. "Then how about joining an old woman in drowning her sorrow?"

"I dislike the taste of alcohol."

"No worries then," Misato raised her glass, "it's ginger ale."

"Very well. I shall return." Rei left to deliver the beer.

"I'll be waiting." Misato grimaced as she sipped the ginger ale. "I hate this stuff."

000

The city's lights were dim and most of the Children had fallen asleep. Shinji stood on the balcony, a hot cup of coffee in his hands. He felt happy except for the irritating buzz in his head. This night was the most fun he had ever had with other people. He had even brought out his cello and played for the others with only minimal prodding from Asuka. Speaking of whom, he turned and looked where Asuka lay sprawled on the carpet fast asleep.

Shinji watched as she slept, feeling a familiar feeling coursing through his body. He shrugged his shoulders as he made his way to his bedroom to get his comforter. It was a bit difficult as the apartment seemed to revolve every now and then but he managed to drag his comforter and himself back to Asuka.

Asuka moaned drunkenly as Shinji clumsily covered her with the comforter. Shinji looked longingly at the red-haired girl, the girl of his dreams, the object of his love and desire. He could feel the blood pound in his head as he continued his vigil over her sleeping form.

Shinji froze as he suddenly found himself inches away from her face, their lips only a breath away. He pulled away in fear and guilt. He had almost taken advantage of her vulnerability, something he had sworn he will never do again. With a muted sob, he withdrew to the balcony and curled up into a ball to contain the shame he felt. In his anguish he did not hear the quiet whisper of the sleeping girl as she whispered his name.

Yuri watched silently from where she lay on the couch, wondering what had just transpired between the two older pilots. Did Shinji just try to kiss the Bitch Queen? Her alcohol and sleep fogged mind finally gave up and succumbed to the void of slumber.

Allen snuggled against the familiar warmth of a caring embrace. Something he had missed for years. He cracked open his eyes, for a moment daring to dream. He looked up and the silhouette of a woman with long, dark hair filled his vision. He sniffed and smelled the scent of his mother... no, not mother. He closed his eyes and tears fell from his eyes.

"Allen," Misato whispered soothingly to the child. She knew of his longing, the same desire and dream that all the Children longed for. The person called "Mother".

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Ritsuko: And thus the stage is set... Moments of Love and Tenderness... Heaven and Hell 1:0 If this is not Heaven...


	10. If This is Not Heaven

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:0 - If this is not Heaven

HTML version 09 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

Pre-Read by Raymond Ryckman

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:0 - If this is not Heaven**

Asuka laid back on the floor of the living room in her shorts and yellow tank top. She placidly chewed gummy worms from a bag by her side while the audio player played some piece by Bach. Misato had given her the disk for one of her birthdays along with the message "Music soothes the savage beast". Asuka had allowed the comment to slide since it was her birthday and didn't want an argument. This was the first time she had actually listened to it, though. She stared at the white expanse of the ceiling and somehow found the activity or lack thereof, soothing.

"No wonder Shinji likes to do this," she said aloud as she plopped another worm-like candy into her mouth. Asuka was alone in the apartment after she spent the better half of her day supervising the carpenters who had torn down the wall to the next apartment in order to enlarge their old one. Misato had decided to adopt Juno and Allen into her little family, though it caused no little uneasiness amongst the children concerned.

Shinji had gone off alone somewhere. Rei had standby duty at NERV-1. Misato was helping Juno and Allen pack their stuff for the big move and the three were not expected back until the next day. Asuka closed her eyes and lost herself to the music, trying to forget the sense of mortality that Henri's death had given her.

000

Juno sat cross-legged on the floor in a manner which was not what Japanese consider feminine. Actually she was wearing what the Japanese (or any one else for that matter) wouldn't consider feminine; torn jeans, an old paint-stained shirt and a bandana tied around her head. Around her was what was left of a Chinese take-out lunch that she, Misato and Allen had eaten an hour earlier. She read a manga as she tried to relax after the long day of packing. The girl glanced up at the stacks of moving boxes. It contained all of what she considered her life in Tokyo-3.

She heard a sigh and looked at Allen who was sprawled on his back in a patch of light that streamed in through a window. Allen had a blue cap low over his eyes and a chopstick gripped in his teeth like a gigantic toothpick. His hands were locked behind his head, the knuckles rested on the floorboards.

She wondered why Allen just gave in to Misato's suggestion for them to move in with her and the others. Lately Allen had been quite indifferent and withdrawn unlike the easy-going, friendly boy she had always known him to be. Juno had even expected him to turn down Misato's offer.

It had been three days since Henri passed away and Misato had stayed with them for those three days in an effort to get to know them better. She wasn't really that successful and Allen seemed to be embarrassed around her.

Juno was troubled that Allen had not spoken to her in quite a while. Sure, he had talked to her during meals and training, but it wasn't what she considered real conversation. But then again, she and Allen hadn't been alone for several days; Misato, Rei or Asuka had always been nearby, and Allen had never talked about what he really felt unless he was only with her or Henri.

Juno looked at the door behind her. Misato had left to arrange for the moving van that they would be using the following day. She looked back at Allen, wondering what her friend was thinking of.

Juno stood up and stretched her legs, and then knelt down beside him but out of the patch of light. She looked at his face and was surprised to see him teary-eyed.

"Juno..." he said, his voice laden with self-pity. Juno nodded at him, knowing that he was not asking for an answer, just a confirmation that she was there for him and ready to understand whatever he had to say.

"I- I feel like I'm being torn apart inside..." Allen bit his lips as he tried to grasp at the words that would convey his feelings. "Do you remember how it was like the first few times in the EVA and we feel like our bodies are suddenly bigger and we're uncertain how to move because we may trip over our feet or crash into something without meaning to?"

Juno nodded. It was like being ripped out of one's own body and then being dumped into a body several times bigger than what one was used to. She knew that Allen still had not gotten used to the sensation but did not bother to point it out. It was the only thing that kept him at the bottom of the pilot ranking which Asuka led.

"I feel like that now... as if everything I believed for the past years were nothing but lies. I used to be so sure of what I wanted... now, I'm not even sure if I should be angry or not." Allen sniffed and took out the chopstick from his mouth before wiping his eyes with the back of his other hand. "I am afraid to move because I may ruin everything around me. Misato and the others were responsible for my mom's death. A part of me says that I should be angry at them, but another part says it's not their fault. I really feel bad when I think of killing Misato and I don't think I can really kill people. Misato's kind to me but I feel like I'm betraying my Mom or something. I feel so angry... I- I don't know what to do..." the boy began to stifle the sobs and turned on his side so that Juno won't see him crying.

Juno had no idea how to react. Her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was still a baby so she had no idea on how to act if one of them had just died. She was raised by a spinster aunt who had a lot of money and not much heart. Juno didn't even care if her aunt got killed anytime soon. The only one she had lost that she really cared for was Henri. She couldn't really be angry at the Angels for taking him away. She thought of them as mindless animals doing what was in their nature. She really couldn't blame a lion for killing a favorite lamb. Juno had a stabbing pain in her heart and she didn't know what to do with it, much less other's pain. Juno bit her lips in sadness. Henri would have known what to do in a situation like this. She was the brain; Allen was the muscle; Henri... he had been the heart.

And now that heart had been ripped away.

Juno stood up and went outside the apartment, allowing Allen to cry alone.

000

The ceiling of Terminal Dogma rose high above Rei's blue topped head and beyond the range of the meager light coming from a string of low output light bulbs. She stood in her plugsuit on the edge of the ruined walkway, her blue Unit 14 knelt beside her in the LCL. Far below the twisted metal beneath her feet was the sea of LCL, stretching far towards the darkened edges of the great cavern.

This was the fourth time she had entered this place, this tomb from which the very person who had called her here now had once forbid her entry. She looked at the carbon bakelite encased Angel. They called him Adam but she knew who it really was...

"Rei." The cool familiar voice said. The voice embodied absolute self-control and mind-numbing intelligence. It was the voice of someone who knew her intimate secrets, desires and fears. Rei didn't turn to answer the owner of the voice and instead kept her gaze leveled at the red cross.

"Yes, Dr. Akagi?"

"She has awakened." Ritsuko stepped into the light and started walking to stand beside Rei.

Rei nodded. She had thought that what she had done years before would not come to haunt her, but she had been wrong. Past deeds often have a way of warping the present... especially deeds made by Angels.

"They still don't know, do they?" Ritsuko asked as she too stared at the Angel.

"No. Shinji, Misato and Dr. Ibuki are the only ones who know that I am a clone, a shell for a Soul. I suspect that Commander Santiago and Colonel Hyuga also know but they have made no indication of it that I have noticed." Rei smiled ruefully. Her eyes betrayed sadness. "No one except you know what I really am."

"Good. I want to keep it that way."

"Why?"

"Let's just say it's insurance." Ritsuko said with a hint of amusement. Rei did not say anything on the matter. "So, how does life as a human feel like?"

"It is confusing." Rei turned to face the woman Ritsuko saw the red eyes full of emotion, not like the lifeless red orbs that she remembered when they last met two years before. "But I love it."

Ritsuko smiled. "Yes, I thought you would find it as such."

Rei returned her gaze to the Angel. "And why did you call me here?"

"I made a mistake." Only Rei's eyes moved to look at the woman. As far as she knew, Ritsuko had only once before admitted making a mistake. "I thought what you did would not affect her, but it did."

"Yes. I felt her come alive when they were extracting Unit 01. I felt her crying out to me..." Rei turned to face Ritsuko and the older woman could see the fear in the teenager's eyes. "She wanted me to reunite with her."

"I thought so." Ritsuko crossed her arms before her. "There is only one way to stop it."

"...Destroy her?" Rei said, the same fear in her voice.

"No, nothing so drastic as that," Ritsuko answered, not daring to look at the girl. "We'll have to extract the soul fragment you left there."

000

**NERV-1  
Simulations Training Area  
Extended Operations Exercise  
Subject: Lt. Kensuke Aida / Unit 15**

"To your nine," Lieutenant Kensuke Aida heard Lt. Antoinette St. Croix's hesitant voice come over the communications gear. Kensuke turned the EVA and brought up the targeting crosshairs across the monitor to the computer-generated form of an Angel. He briefly wondered how such a high-strung person was given chief control responsibility. Calm control officers brought out efficient pilots and sub-control teams. Controllers who couldn't inspire confidence in the pilots however...

Kensuke pulled the trigger and watched in disbelief as the form disappeared in a blur of movement. The shells arced downwards into a building complex, annihilating it. Kensuke gave a wry grin as he backed the EVA to an armored building, the positron cannon across its chest as a make-shift shield.

"Where is it?" Kensuke added a tinge of impatience in his voice. He had been in this particular simulation for over an hour now and it was trying his patience. He was also developing a headache due to the mental burden of piloting an EVA. He knew that as time passed, the synchro ratio falls due to mental fatigue. He could feel the sluggishness in the EVA's movement as his synchro ratio approached 40, the minimum required score to pilot an EVA with rudimentary controls. Anything below 40 would make fighting suicidal.

"Um, it's circling to your left... NO! to your right!"

Kensuke cursed as he nearly bared his EVA's back to the enemy. He growled as he sprayed shells across his line of vision. He could just see the blurred form of the Angel as it moved at incredible speed.

Suddenly, the EVA stopped functioning. Kensuke groggily pulled at his control sticks to no avail. He looked up as he saw the Angel solidify before him, its great talons crashing down towards him.

"Um, system not responding, OH! FUCK!! Synchro ratio is 38 percent! Shit! Cutting nerve connection!!" Lt. Antoinette frantically cried out sending the control team into panic.

Kensuke screamed as he felt the Angel dig its claws into his EVA before Lt. Antoinette could cut his nerve connection to the EVA.

000

Asuka awakened to the smell of something cooking. She felt something soft under her head and she reached up to touch it. Someone had placed a pillow under her head.

Asuka sat up and looked around. The apartment had been straightened out. The mess that the carpenters had left had been swept away, the curtains neatly tucked and the furniture re-aligned. Her bag of gummy worms was on the coffee table.

Asuka went to the kitchen and found it empty. A pot of something simmered on the stove and vegetables and cooking utensils were neatly arranged on the table, prepared for whoever was cooking. She went back to the hallway and saw that the door to Shinji's room was closed.

"He's probably taking a nap," Asuka thought with a smile as she stood before his door. She went to her room and took her bath things then went to the bathroom, which was located conveniently beside the kitchen. She took off her clothes leisurely as she thought of her feelings for Shinji. She thought he was nice and sweet but too damned timid, insecure and repressed. At least he's no longer too much of a wimp. She folded her clothes and placed them on the hamper before standing naked in front of the bathroom sink. She did have to concede the fact that she felt an attraction to him. She traced his name on the fog on the mirror, reveling on the sensation as the condensed moisture trickled down her finger with each slow, curving stroke she made.

Realization suddenly struck Asuka—_'Why is the mirror fogged?!'_

She slowly turned in horror to look at the tub. Her brain took in the blue towel with the neatly embroidered kanji of a boy's name and the definitely unfeminine clothes folded neatly beside it. An alarm clock sat on tub's rim and she briefly wondered what an alarm clock was doing in the bathroom.

She saw the owner of the items sitting languidly in the hot tub of water, his eyes closed as he took a hot relaxing soak. A small towel was on his head and his arms were draped on the tub's tiled rim. In the deafening silence, Asuka could hear his gentle, even breathing.

Asuka gave a sigh of relief. _'He's sleeping.'_

She blushed as she noticed that she was naked in the same room with a naked boy. She also noticed that she could see him through the water. Asuka blushed even harder and turned away from him, overcoming the urge to stare any longer. She hurriedly reached for her towel when the alarm clock rang, making her freeze in mid-motion.

Asuka whirled around as Shinji's eyes fluttered open and the boy stood up in the tub and stretched his arms over his head. The boy slowly raised his leg to get out of the tub when he noticed her. The alarm clock's incessant ringing was relegated to the background, as they felt that the synchronized beating of their hearts were louder than any drum.

They looked at each other. They took into account that the other was naked. And the fact that the other had stopped in a very interesting position.  The reaction was quite predictable-

"AAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"

000

"It was a failure. If it were a real combat situation, we would have lost the Unit and its pilot." Lt. Corrie Hayes reported, his eyes never wandered to the female lieutenant to his right.

"Your recommendation?" Misato sounded displeased as she steepled her hands in front of her face just like what Commander Ikari used to do.

Hayes looked uncomfortable, he hated to rat on his fellow officer but some things were necessary for the survival of the whole. "I suggest that Lt. St. Croix be officially reprimanded and to undergo retraining for Tactical command duties."

Misato nodded. "Lt. St. Croix, please step outside until I call for you."

Antoinette St. Croix saluted and turned on her heels. She tried not to cry as she went out, she really hated the goody-two-shoe Hayes.

Misato looked up to Lt. Hayes after the door closed behind St. Croix. He nodded and reached into his tunic and placed a disk on Misato's desk. Misato slipped the disk into her own tunic before dismissing the Lieutenant.

000

Rei gasped through clenched teeth as she lay on the gurney, tears of pain streamed from her eyes. She had no signs of any external injuries. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi calmly gave out orders to the medical team, monitoring Rei's health and desperately trying to keep her alive. Waves of pain coursed through her body, crashing through any painkillers that the doctors had pumped into her.

"Increasing dosage to 40ml!"

"Brain waves erratic!"

"Pulse erratic!"

"Cardiac arrest! Pulse zero!"

"Prepare for cardiac massage!"

The doctors swarmed over her as her plugsuit's life support system failed, ripping away the suit with surgical scissors. Once the skin-tight garment was off, they immediately began the frantic process of saving her life. Off to one side Dr. Akagi stood, watching the medical staff do their jobs. She knew that it would be easier if the teenager died. But she was just a child. And it was not her fault for being what she was. Ritsuko knew that she and her mother were partly responsible for what the girl was.

It was Ritsuko's fault. She shut her eyes and did what she had not done in decades; she prayed.

"Clear!"

A moment. A child's gasp of pain. A tear slowly made its way down Ritsuko's cheek.

"Pulse confirmed!"

000

Juno stood in front of the freezer, her eyes locked on the frozen goodies inside. She was unaware of the stares the other patrons of the convenience store were giving her. She had been at it for quite some time now.

_'I'm a fuck-up.'_ She could feel the tears come to her eyes but she held them off. She was never the one for crying. She felt useless for running away in her friend's time of need.

"I prefer Rocky Road myself," a voice whispered from behind her as its owner violated her personal space. Somehow, the voice and the presence were familiar.

Juno's eyes widened and she whirled around with a hopeful smile on her face. "Henri?!"

She was a bit surprised to face a rather tall boy. He looked older than her, about as old as Asuka. He had spiky blonde hair and red eyes. But what got Juno's attention was the fact that the boy was wearing a black plugsuit, a peaked cap, and an oversized black school jacket. And a gold cross earring dangled from one ear.

Juno bowed her head in apology and to hide the disappointment from her face. "My bad, I thought you were someone I knew..." she mumbled as she hurriedly opened the freezer and took out the first thing she got her hands on.

"Ms. Juno, I think you would prefer this," the boy called out as he raised a pint of mocha with chocolate ripple. Juno blinked in astonishment and then looked down at the pint she carried. The English girl felt sick as she found that she had taken a pint of pistachio.

"Thanks, I really fuckin hate--" Juno started then with lightning fast reflexes, her hand was inside her ever present backpack. She glared suspiciously at the boy. "Who the Hell are you?"

The boy smiled, "I am..."

000

Rei slowly opened her eyes and a moan escaped her lips. She saw the familiar hospital ceiling through her clouded vision and she closed her eyes again. She felt as if her whole body had been burned, the pain was numbing as it penetrated through her body.

"Are you all right?" Rei heard a male voice speak. Through the fog of pain she forgot--

"Commander Ikari?" she asked in disbelief and hope. She turned her head and saw a figure silhouetted by the light coming in from the windows.

"No." the figure bent towards the bed and turned on the lamp above her head, making her squint at the sudden light.

"Commander Santiago." Rei sank back into the pillow.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Rei blinked slowly and realized that she couldn't remember. Commander Santiago nodded. He walked around the bed and went out of the room, leaving the girl to wonder.

Ritsuko sat on a chair outside Rei's room. If she hadn't been in a hospital, she would have been smoking. She looked up when Commander Santiago came out. She could see cold anger in his eyes, and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Whatever you did to her, don't do it again." He gruffly commanded.

"Commander, I give you results. The ends justify the means."

"No, Doctor. They never do." Santiago turned his back to the woman. Ritsuko glared at the man's back. She hated being ignored.

"Aren't you a little too concerned with someone who isn't your child. Ikari was quite interested in her well-being and we both know that he was planning on using her. Are you planning something, Commander Santiago? Are you planning on using someone you know is expendable?" She smiled as she pulled out her trump card.

Santiago almost stopped but continued walking away. Ritsuko smiled triumphantly. So, he did know about Rei.

"Touché, Commander. Touché." Ritsuko said to herself. She stood up and entered Rei's room. The girl had her eyes closed, looking immaculate and vulnerable as only a sick child can. She saw that Rei's overhead lamp was on. She walked towards the bed and turned it off.

"Dr. Akagi."

"Yes?"

"I can not remember..." Rei bit her lip and Ritsuko didn't know if it was from pain or sadness.

Ritsuko felt sympathy for the girl. She had always known that she was the kind of woman who would never have children of her own. She neither had the time or patience to raise children. But as she looked down at the girl, she felt something within her stir. The girl was so vulnerable...

"Shhh. It will be all right," Ritsuko sat down on the bed beside Rei and touched the girl's hand gently with her own. Ritsuko quietly began to hum. Rei tried to look up at the woman, but her head hurt so she just sank back into the pillows and closed her eyes and drifted with the soothing sound as Ritsuko began to sing.

"...hush my darling, don't you cry "

000

Shinji stirred the pot gently as he heard the bathroom door slide open. He cringed and had to force himself not to turn and look. Asuka might misinterpret the move. Since the incident earlier that evening, Shinji had been uncomfortable. All he could remember was the frantic grab for the towels, which ended in him slipping on the floor and hitting his elbow on the tub's rim. When he looked up, Asuka had moved to a corner and faced the wall, her towel wrapped tightly around her. He wrapped his towel around his waist and grabbed his clothes as he rushed out, leaving hurried apologies in his wake. Strangely enough, Asuka had remained silent, still facing the wall.

Shinji looked at his elbow, the new bruise painfully visible as he stirred the pot with his other hand. That had been quite embarrassing... sure he had seen her naked before and she had seen him too, but the circumstances were different. All those instances had been out of professional necessity. Except for the last one before that evening's incident... Shinji felt guilt and shame for that moment of weakness that morning several years past.

Asuka had seen Shinji cringe as she came out of the bathroom fully dressed in her house clothes. He stirred the pot with one hand and raised his other arm and looked at his elbow. She remembered that he had hit his elbow when he had tried to grab his towel. She could see a large bruise and she felt a twinge of guilt for not helping him when he fell. But then again it was his stupid fault for not locking the door...

Asuka took something out of a kitchen drawer before going to the fridge.

Shinji heard Asuka open a drawer then pad barefooted to the fridge. He braced himself, waiting for the barrage of obscenities that she would be undoubtedly giving him. The little German that he knew consisted mostly of such words that the auburn haired girl had often directed at him.

He heard her walk towards him and he knew that he was going to get shouted at. Shinji felt sad that he couldn't have more than one peaceful night in the company of the girl. She was now beside him and he felt her hand on his arm. Shinji focussed on the pot, the pain her words brought wasn't that hard if he had something else to focus on.

Shinji's eyes opened wide in surprise as he felt something cool press against his bruised elbow. He turned and saw that Asuka was holding an ice bag to his elbow. Shinji blushed. He was not used to Asuka being so nice to him. He thought that what happened in the bathroom would bring out the screaming demoness that she had usually shown him but it seems that he was wrong.

A moment of uneasy silence passed between them.

"So, um, where have you been?" Asuka started uneasily. She even managed to smile sweetly at him.

"To my farm. I remembered that my watermelons were ready." Shinji stopped, not wanting to bore her with details. He saw her looking at him expectantly and decided that mindless chatter was better than uneasy silence. "I - I was going to pick up a watermelon and I saw some weeds in my carrots. So I took them out, but after I was done, I noticed that weeds were also choking the other vegetables so I had to pick them out too. I guess that after weeding, I just had to turn over the earth."

"Why?" Asuka had started to massage his arm with her free hand.

"I - I guess I'm just compulsively thorough," Shinji said shamefully, a hint of an apology left unsaid was in his voice.

"Is that all? You won't do something without being told to, unless you want to do it."

"I guess I like the feel of the earth between my fingers," he confessed sheepishly as he stared into the pot. Asuka had a small triumphant smile on her face. "I felt so close to nature. I guess I like the fact that I was doing something that would bring life."

"I like how you said that-- liking something that would bring life," Asuka said. She giggled mischievously as she added, "I wonder how you would feel about sex?"

Asuka froze then blushed fiercely as she realized that Shinji was now older and such jibes would no longer go right over his head. Shinji gulped nervously, he was also red in the face. They looked at each other right into each other's blue eyes. Hers as light as the sky; His as dark as the deep sea. A moment passed. A moment when a link passed between them, when they were in perfect harmony. A moment where all curtains were pushed aside and their souls were bared to each other. A moment when dreams and hopes came alive.

And the moment passed. They smiled happily at each other. Shinji returned to his cooking, Asuka to massaging his arm. But they were content. Holding on to that single moment with comfort.

000

"The Adam problem had been remedied." Santiago spoke from the middle of a lighted panel in a dark room.

"Then the Second Phase would begin." A deep voice responded from the darkness.

"Yes."

"Dr. Akagi?"

"She may suspect something."

"Will she be a threat?"

"To all sides, yes."

"Then we shall use her for as long as we can."

Santiago paused in thought. "Agreed," he conceded before the lighted panel died and plunged the room into total darkness.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:

Ritsuko: Shinji Ikari - the designated pilot of Unit 01. A boy born to pilot EVA. For two years he ran away from his destiny, to follow his own path in life. But once again he is needed to claim his birthright. Now it's time to separate the boy he was from the man he is. Heaven and Hell 1:1 Runaway Angel. It's all or nothing, Shinji.

Original Author's Notes:

All right! I'm back! Thesis is over and I'm technically a graduate, yay! (and therefore within the ranks of the unemployed- arrgh!). This is the halfway mark since I'm concluding this series at around twenty episodes (give or take) and move on (as it were). Please bear with me as I've got several other stories that I want to begin/end as soon as I'm done with this one. I've already begun writing fics for: Giant Robo, Detective Conan, Martian Successor Nadesico, Card Captor Sakura (yay! They've shown the episodes that I haven't seen yet on local TV), and two EVA fics (including my first lemon!). I'm hoping that I'll finish some of them by Summer of next year.

Once more, thank you for waiting.


	11. Runaway Angel

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:1 - Runaway Angel

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:1 - Runaway Angel**

Liquid sensations flowed over his body as he sank in the water. He tried to relax, to stay calm - to bury the instinctive terror brought about by this experience.

_'Think of it as LCL,'_ he thought to himself and the terror faded a bit as he imagined that he was submerged in the Life Water of the EVA.

Then he made the mistake of breathing in.

He panicked as his lungs rejected the chlorinated water. His arms thrashed out as he tried to get his head out into the surface and taste the cherished air. He tried to scream - which made everything worse.

And then she was by his side, her strong arms pulled him up as he clung desperately to her.

He gasped in the delicious air greedily as soon as he felt the cool air on his wet skin.

"Shinji?" she asked, worry and discomfort in her voice. Maybe the choice of a red two-piece suit was not a good idea. She could feel the warmth from his body where they touched each other skin-to-skin, it was worse where his body heat seeped past the meager pieces of fabric she wore. Asuka felt uncomfortable at the exchange of body heat. It made her feel...

"Y-yes, Asuka?" Shinji wheezed out.

"You can let go now," Asuka whispered almost hesitantly. She wanted to hug and comfort him but she didn't want to seem too forward and scare him away.

"Sorry..." the boy trailed off as he finally managed to stand up in the waist-deep children's swimming pool.

Asuka felt a bit of regret as the boy waded towards the steel ladder and dragged himself out of the pool and lay down on a lawn chair. With a resigned sigh, Asuka followed the dark haired boy and sat down on an adjacent chair. She reached for a tall glass of juice on a small table between their lawn chairs.

"It's hopeless," Shinji muttered.

"Hey! If I can learn to ride a bike in a day, you can learn to swim in a week!" Asuka declared belligerently, a bit annoyed at his pessimism. "All we have to do is cure you of this silly fear of water! Try to relax, damnit! I'm beside you and I won't let anything bad happen to you!"

Shinji turned on to his side, facing Asuka. He watched as she angrily sipped from her glass. The beads of water on her skin glistened in the sunlight that filtered through the skylight of the indoor pool, her wet hair clung to the sides of her face. She was so... breathtaking.

And before he knew it, he was smiling.

000

A train car filled with the amber light of sunset rolled across a plain, empty scenery. A boy in a workout outfit lounged on a bench, his right leg stretched on the bench, his chin resting on his arm which was resting on the backrest, his left foot was flat on the ground. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, he was only aware of what he had thought for all that time.

He thought of his sister, a little girl broken by the War, naively following a path of destruction and despair in the belief that it would be her redemption. He sighed tiredly. He may not be as perceptive as his friends but he would have made for a bad brother if he didn't know how his little sister felt about the loss of their Grandfather. Now, she had the power to save people, and that was what he was afraid of. She doesn't know or care for the cost of such power.

He thought of his father, slaving away in the bowels of the NERV's laboratories to come up with something to aid his children in fighting their enemies. How he would have loved for his father to only worry about feeding his children and making them content with life, not having to worry if the children will die and he will be faced with a coffin. The boy gritted his teeth, a little angry at his sister's decision, a decision that added to their father's burden.

He thought of his friends. The redhead who lashed out at the world in order to protect herself and others under her care. The one with blue hair and red eyes who would readily give everything for others. The boy with brown hair and glasses who paid for his dreams with his innocence. The naïve boy who had carried the burden of all life on his fragile shoulders.

And finally, the girl he loves.

"Then go to her," a voice whispered from the opposite bench.

Toji turned to a boy with blond spiky hair. The boy was wearing a skintight black plugsuit very different from the EVA pilots'. It had no armored torso like those found in the male version issued by NERV. It had no sleeves to cover up the boy's pale, almost luminescent, white skin. The blond boy also had a gold cross earring on the left ear.

"How long have you been there?"

The boy shrugged. Toji sighed. He really shouldn't expect the boy to answer. Toji knew from experience that the only reason the blond boy talked was probably because he was bored.

"You know, you remind me of a friend of mine," Toji laid down on the bench and watched the swaying of the hand rings which hung from the ceiling on plastic straps.

"Lady Rei?"

"Uh, yeah." Toji tore his eyes away from the hand rings to look at the other boy. "You know about her?"

"Yes." The blond boy rolled his eyes and sighed like a very patient man on the limit of his patience. "Mr. Toji."

"Yeah?"

"You do know about Ms. Hikari? I would gather that you would be the only one she would tell of her suspicions."

Toji's face flushed and he looked away from the other boy.

"The others don't know yet. But Ms. Hikari is scheduled for a physical sometime this week, and it will be confirmed then. Their future will be uncertain as piloting may be dangerous for them. You must be there to reassure them."

Toji looked at the boy and was surprised to see the other boy's red eyes look in irritation at him.

"So will you please get off this train."

"H-how? Don't you think I would already have done it if I knew how?" Toji didn't like the look on the other boy's eyes.

The boy grinned.

000

"Come on," Allen said as he yanked Juno by the arm as he began to cross the street. "You know how Misato hates it when we're late!"

Juno shook her head to clear the cobwebs. _'Crap! Was I spacing off again?'_ She blinked. "Misato?"

Allen gave her an annoyed look. "Y'know, the Colonel, the lady who eats dinner with us and sleeps in the same apartment, that Misato."

Juno frowned, "Of course I know who she is you butthead! But what the fuck is she doing supervising this synch test?!"

Allen sighed, not at all troubled that his friend had just called him a butthead. From Juno, it was actually a term of endearment. "They're going to use us as a baseline for Ikari's test. Misato said she wanted to be there when they test him."

"Ikari." Juno gave a sidelong glance at Allen as she repeated the name to herself. Allen had said the name with seething hatred and his jaw had clenched dangerously at the word. Thankfully, their home life with the older boy was still violence-free as Misato had made Allen promise not to attack the older boy again. So far Allen had kept his word.

"Hey, wanna go watch a movie after the test?" Allen asked.

000

Yuri sat in front of the portable TV set with her back to her brother's comatose form. She watched a boring show about the Second Impact while she tried to finish her Summer homework.

Hikari sat on a chair by the bedside reading a book. Now and then her eyes would tear up, whether from the book she was reading or from her current situation, only she could say.

Kensuke stood by the window and looked out at the city as he brooded. His brow was furrowed by the weight of what he pondered.

"Hikari..."

Hikari was startled by the weak voice that said her name. She looked and saw Toji's hand twitch. She reached out and held his hand in both of hers.

"Hikari..."

Biting her lips in uncertainty, she answered, "Yes, Toji? I'm here."

"I'm glad you're here."

Hikari stood there, frozen by the words. She smiled and closed her eyes as she felt tremendous joy. A tear streaked down her cheeks as a single thought ran through her mind, _'He's back.'_

She felt a clammy yet gentle hand, wipe away the tears with a finger. She opened her eyes and looked right at Toji's half-open eyes.

"Don't be sad..." he said weakly.

"Silly, I'm not sad," she sniffed. "I'm just happy that you're back."

Yuri and Kensuke turned at the sound of sobbing.

000

_'Asuka.'_

Flashes of images of the redhead. Asuka in her yellow sundress smirking imperiously as she surveyed those before her. Asuka in her school uniform, her chin on her hand as she looked out the window in boredom. Asuka in her red and white bikini looking disappointed as she stood with hands on her hips by the pool.

_'A girl in red.'_

Various images of Asuka in her blood red plugsuit. Her red hair. Her red cranial transmitters. Her breasts, thighs, and rear, covered by the skintight plugsuit. Asuka, naked, covered in blood.

_'Temperamental.'_

Asuka shouting.

_'Arrogant.'_

Asuka with her chin up, looking down at someone.

_'... Bitch.'_

Asuka scowling, her mouth wide open in an angry scream.

_'No. No more.'_

Asuka sitting listlessly at the kitchen table. Asuka sleeping in a drug induced sleep, her cheeks sunken, her skin pale. Asuka huddled in a fetal position, blood covered her naked body.

_'She hides her true self.'_

Asuka shouting and stomping her feet.

_'Gentle and caring.'_

Asuka outside the door, trying to hide herself from the occupants of a hospital room. Asuka sleeping on top of someone. Asuka giving swimming lessons.

_'I like her.'_

Asuka smiling, her blue eyes shining with life and happiness.

_'But...'_

Asuka looking downcast.

_'Is this love?'_

"Three. Two. One. Absolute borderline passed. Unit 01 is active. Synch graph is climbing." Lt. Miyuki Kata announced from her workstation. Several other control officers and technicians flanked her on either side. Outside the observation window before the workstations was a huge room that contained Unit 01 which was locked onto a cage. On either side of the monstrosity were two empty cages.

Shinji opened his eyes. He stared at the observation room that his EVA faced. He ignored the other people. She was there and that was the most important thing.

"Roger," Shinji replied as a small smile formed on his lips.

"Synch graph is rising. Combat requirement has been surpassed." Lt. Miyuki Kata reported. She still felt fear being so near such a barely controllable pilot. What the boy had done to the last Angel... She looked at the innocent face on the monitor. His eyes had closed again, intent on concentration. _'You can never judge a book by its cover,'_ she thought.

"He's still the best." Misato said with a tone of pride. Her arms were crossed in front of her black turtle-neck shirt, framing the silver crucifix she always wore. She briefly wondered why Shinji smiled, he had almost never smiled during any of the tests before. _'It's as if he's actually happy being back in an EVA.'_

Asuka nodded, her wet hair stuck to the sides of her face. She had just finished her own synch test and still wore her plugsuit. The girl stood mimicking Misato's stance.

Juno and Allen leaned against the far wall behind Misato and Asuka. They had been tested with Asuka. Allen stared at the Synch graph. Shinji had already surpassed everyone's score except for Asuka's - and he was catching up. Allen felt a twitch at his heart...

"Mom, faced him..." he said ruefully. Juno looked at him. His eyes seemed to have moistened.

"Synch ratio has just caught up with Asuka's average," Maya observed. She wore a white lab coat over her blue and black uniform. "Begin running tests four-six to one-oh-three."

"Test four-six to nine-niner passed at 100percent," came Lt. Kata's report.

Maya leaned forward and clicked on the comm link. "Shinji, how do you feel?"

No answer came. Shinji's eyes were still closed. The screen with the boy's image flickered.

"Error reading at tests one-oh-zero and one-oh-one." Lt. Kata intoned without emotion as warning signs came on-line.

000

Shinji saw the fog covered mountains and he could feel the cool mountain breeze caress his face. He was somewhere in the mountains that surrounded Tokyo-3. He had passed here before when he had tried to run away after his first scolding from Misato.

Shinji saw the path that led to the field where Kensuke had his tent. He walked towards it, feeling the moist ground beneath his bare feet. He looked down and noticed that he had slung his sneakers over his shoulders by knotting their laces together. He walked forward.

Soon, Shinji found the tent in the clearing. Its flap was open, an empty sleeping bag was inside. A small campfire was lit outside, crackling in the afternoon light. Shinji bent down and placed the nearby pot of rice onto the fire. He was not hungry but it seemed right.

Shinji went inside the tent and laid down on the sleeping bag. He waited. He didn't know why he waited or for what, but it seemed right. Cicadas began to chirp as the sky became darker with the advent of night.

He heard someone hum a familiar tune and then the sound of footsteps. He looked at the tent's flap and saw the black pant legs and the white sneakers. He crawled towards the tent flaps on his hands and knees and the legs moved away. Shinji stuck his head out and saw a familiar boy sitting on a log by the fire.

The boy wore a black and white high school uniform without the black jacket. His fingers were comfortably woven together in front of him in a praying manner, while his elbows rested on his knees. He wore a serene smile on his face, and the gray locks of his hair fell gently over his red eyes.

"Shinji, it's been a long time," the boy said in a melodious voice.

Shinji nodded and walked over to sit beside the boy.

"I see you're back with your mother." The boy said while staring at the fire. Shinji just looked at the boy whose red eyes seemed to dance with the fire it reflected.

Shinji shifted his eyes as if trying to feel something. He felt a warm, reassuring sensation caress him. Then he smiled happily.

"That is good." The boy stood up and faced Shinji. "Man was not meant to be alone, but to be a complement. Man denies this, refusing to depend on others. Wishing to be alone, to be free. Man does not know that to truly live, one must open his heart to the Other."

Shinji glanced up at the boy, wondering what he meant. The young pilot often wondered if he could ever truly understand his friend. Shinji suddenly blushed. Was his friend hinting about the talk they had so long ago, when Shinji had revealed his heart?

His friend kneeled in front of him, making Shinji uneasy. The boy reached out and lightly touched Shinji's shoulder, making the other boy blush even redder. Shinji closed his eyes and decided to enjoy the sensation of being cared for. Then the other boy slowly pulled away and stood up.

"Go back, they're getting worried." The boy said as he started walking away through the tall grass. He smiled tenderly. "She is getting worried."

"Will I see you again?"

"We'll see, Shinji. We'll see." The boy turned his head to look back, one pale, thin arm raised in farewell.

"Then I'll be seeing you again." Shinji said with conviction as he stood up to leave. He turned away from his friend and started to walk in the opposite direction.

"SHINJI!! ANSWER ME!!" Shinji opened his eyes at the frantic call over his comm link. The worried face of a young auburn haired woman greeted him from a small monitor. He was touched that she cared.

"Yes?" he asked in an unaffected tone.

"Yes?! I that all you can say!? You've blanked out for five minutes! What happened?!" Asuka scowled in worry.

"..." Shinji could feel Unit 01's contentment and he smiled. "Nothing, Asuka, it was nothing." He could see Asuka frown, unconvinced at his answer.

"Um, Asuka, may I continue with the testing?" Maya's anxious voice could be heard in the background and he could swear that Asuka had blushed for a moment. Several control officers suppressed their giggles.

"Tests one-oh-zero to one-oh-three are cleared at 100percent," Lt. Miyuki noted professionally.

"Shinji, do you feel anything strange?" Maya asked.

"Not really, just a bit tired."

"All right, if you say so. Anything else?"

"No."

"Synch graph, holding at 98percent." Lt. Miyuki noted professionally.

000

Rei sat on her bed, in her hospital pajamas. An open cookbook laid on her lap but her eyes stared out the window.

"Rei?"

The girl looked away from the window and looked at the doctor who had spoken.

"doctor akagi." Rei monotoned. The girl looked at the dark haired scientist with cold, dispassionate, red eyes. She saw the brief look of fear cross Ritsuko's eyes.

Then, Rei smiled. "Fooled you."

Ritsuko made an annoyed sound. "Don't do that again, Girl!"

_'Damn. Where'd she get that sense of humor?'_ Ritsuko took the clipboard that hung by the foot of Rei's bed. She raised her eyebrows. "The doctors say you can't walk."

Rei nodded her head. "I cannot feel my legs."

"Numb?"

The girl shook her head. Where others would have probably been afraid of the sudden immobility, she merely felt curiosity. "I cannot feel them. It is as if they are not there."

Ritsuko calmly checked the girl's records, she didn't want Rei to see her nervousness.

"They scanned me earlier. My spine is in excellent condition." Rei stated helpfully to Ritsuko.

"oh." Ritsuko replaced the clipboard. "Then it must be psychological. I'll see what I can do." She did not want to raise the other possibility.

"Is that not Doctor Ibuki's responsibility?"

"Well, Maya's under a lot of stress right now so I've taken the care of the pilots away from her for a while. Since my job's already finished, the Commander wants to make me useful until my contract expires."

Rei simply nodded her head.

"Well, I'll see you later then." Ritsuko bowed to the pilot.

Rei nodded goodbye and then returned to staring out the window and continued what she was doing before Ritsuko came.

_'Should we not warn them?'_

_'no. it is not necessary. they know. you must not interfere.'_

_'The Other.'_

_'he comes.'_

Rei sighed and settled back on her pillows, her conversation with herself finished.

000

Misato walked down the corridors of the third Pribnow Box after leaving the testing facility. The Colonel was on her way home for some well needed sleep and had to pass through a dimly lit section of the corridor. She looked up as a figure detached itself from the shadows, her hand reflexively went to her gun.

"It's me, Colonel," Lt. Corrie Hayes announced as he re-holstered his gun.

Misato nodded as she scanned the area one more time. Finally satisfied that the meeting place was secure, Misato removed her hand from her gun. "What did you find out?"

"Five more disappeared over the last week."

"That makes it nine."

"Un." Corrie shook his head. "Eight. They found the body of a girl."

Even in the dim light, Misato could see the anger in the young man's frame. She could deduce what the enemy did to the girl. "That means they'll make their move soon."

Corrie nodded. "I'll return to my post now."

"Thank you Lieutenant."

Corrie nodded once more.

000

The Combined Operations Command theater was in utter chaos. Red warning lights had appeared on all available monitors and alarm klaxons wailed. The control officers and techs had discarded whatever premise of order they had and started shouting at each other in order to be heard over the din.

"ENEMY HAS PASSED THROUGH AREAS TWELVE TO THIRTY-NINE!!"

"TWO GROUPS ARE PROCEEDING TO THE EVA CAGE!!"

"ENEMY HAS BREACHED CENTRAL DOGMA!!"

"NERV-9 MAGI IS DELIBERATING SELF-DESTRUCT!!"

Commander Santiago sat impassively at his command desk. This was one situation that he could do nothing about. Half a world away, one of his sister branches was under attack by rebel elements. And by the looks of it, NERV-9 was losing.

Beside him, Colonel Makoto Hyuga trembled in rage. His hands were balled into tight fists, the nails dug into the palm and caused them to bleed.

"They killed the Children..." Makoto kept repeating. In one monitor was a list of NERV-9's Children, beside each name were the words: Status Unknown. He remembered when NERV-1 had been attacked all those years before. The main targets were the Children, for without them the Branch's defenses were all but halved.

"UNIT 27 ACTIVATING!"

"ENEMY HAS REACHED THE EVA CAGE!!"

"WARNING! ANGEL APPROACHING TOKYO-3!!" Lt. Corrie Hayes shouted at the top of his lungs. It took several moments before his words took effect. The other control officers and techs all looked up at the command bridge, not knowing what to do.

"What are you waiting for?! There's nothing we can do for the Ninth Branch. PREPARE FOR FIRST LEVEL COMBAT!" Santiago's voice was raised in irritation.

"YES, SIR!" the control officers and techs shouted in reply as they furiously prepared the fortress city for battle. They all felt uneasy that their commander had shown emotion in a crisis.

000

Shinji's Unit 01 stood in the center of a V-shaped trap with Asuka's Unit 02 and Juno's Unit 32 as the other points in the triangle. Allen's Unit 30 was in backup position several kilometers away. Birds fluttered in the trees surrounding the gigantic EVAs. Small woodland animals scurried about the EVA's feet and umbilical cords that stretched towards hidden power relays in the trees. All four units had their positron cannons slung over their shoulders. Their lances were stuck vertically to the ground beside them just in case the Angel decided to get close and nasty.

By the coast, on the rooftop of a ruined building sat a boy with spiky blond hair and a gold cross earring on the left ear. He brought a cup of instant ramen to his lips and used his chopsticks to bring the noodles to his mouth.

He looked up as the sea water shot up into the air as a large object breached the surface violently. He noisily slurped up the noodles as he raised an eyebrow.

"This is going to be interesting." A grin was on his face.

000

"Target has just made landfall! Visual confirmation of the target in three, two, one." Lt. Antoinette St. Croix reported. She tried to keep her voice calm and professional. She had been severely reprimanded after Unit 18's last extended operations exercise and did not want to get another blemish on her record. Her parents had pulled a lot of strings to get her this job and she's not about to disappoint them by getting sacked. "...Zero. Displaying on main monitor."

The main monitor blinked and displayed a large, white, shapeless mass that glowed with an ethereal light, seemingly flowed over the trees, knocking them down in the process. A huge dust-cloud marked its passage.

"AT Field is minimal." Lt. Miyuki Kata added. "Positive pattern blue. Target logged as Twenty-first Angel."

"Its AT Field seems to be concentrated to the front to be used as a plow," Maya said after checking some displays. "The AT Field is weaker at the sides and the rear."

"The weaker it is the better for us," Misato said as she pulled on her jacket as she came up onto the bridge. She glanced up at the main monitor to check that the orders she had phoned in had been followed. "But then again, the Angel might have a nasty surprise waiting for us."

"Target is accelerating, AT Field is intensifying on the forward section," Miyuki said as the huge mass suddenly began to move faster.

"Target is entering the kill zone." Lt. Corrie Hayes announced. On the map a red triangle entered a large yellow triangle with blue corner points.

"Well, at least it moves fast. It covered sixty kilometers in under ten minutes." Maya replied.

Misato growled. It was moving too damn fast and would leave the trap in under ten seconds. "FIRE AT WILL!!"

The edges of the Angel began to blur as it accelerated to somewhere just below the speed of sound. The three Evangelions on the points of the triangular trap began to open fire, the explosive bursts of their cannons scared the woodland creatures.

Allen watched as the first shell made contact with the Angel. A huge red spray arced into the sky. The Angel continued to move through the kill zone's center as pieces of it got blown off as the EVAs started to pump it full of anti-matter. A fine red mist was left behind it.

"IT'S STILL COMING!!" Allen heard Shinji's desperate voice as the Angel bore down on Unit 01. The Angel had already lost half of its original mass but it was still larger than all four EVAs combined and at the speed it was going, it hit Unit 01 like a gigantic express train! Unit 01's cannon shattered on impact. Shinji screamed as Unit 01 tried to push back against the runaway Angel. Unit 01's hands sank into the Angelic matter. Shinji tried to grab for his lance but he got pushed away too fast and the lance got knocked down by Unit 01's frantically groping arm. Trees fell down as Unit 01's feet tried to find some purchase on the forest floor. The EVA's heels dug furrows upon the forests floor.

Allen moved a moment after Asuka did. Unit 02 and Unit 30's umbilical cables rocketed away from the EVAs. The EVAs discarded their cannons for their lances and gave chase to the Angel. Juno continued firing her cannon at the grappling pair, making sure that she did not hit anyone she's not supposed to. A huge dust cloud mixed with Angel blood was left behind the runaway Angel.

"Shinji! You're approaching Tokyo-3! STOP IT!" Misato screamed over the comm link. The Angel had slowed down because of Unit 01's resistance but it was still moving too fast for comfort.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?!" Shinji screamed back in annoyance.

Lt. Antoinette looked at the main screen as a fact suddenly screamed at her mind. "Be careful of the cliff!"

"What cliff?" Misato asked in horror.

"They're approaching Lookout Park!" Lt. St. Croix pressed some buttons and the main monitor highlighted the cliff she was talking about.

"WHAT?!" Misato remembered the place where she had brought Shinji to look at Tokyo-3 all those years before. She remembered the park because she always went there when she wanted to remember what she was fighting for. She remembered the neat, manicured picnic grounds, and the coin operated telescopes that allowed one to fully appreciate the park's beautiful location. She remembered the steeply sloping ground. "Shit. That's a long fall."

"A cliff?!" Shinji cried incredulously and gritted his teeth, of course he would most probably live through the fall, it just would be very, very painful once the valley floor stops him. Pain was never his favorite part of this job. "Shit. Stop, damn it! STOP!!"

"HOLD ON!!" Asuka had caught up with the Angel and brought down Unit 02's lance into the Angel's flank and dug her EVA's heels into the ground and tried to slow the Angel down. Unit 02 lost its footing and got dragged behind the rushing mass as Asuka refused to let go of the lance.

Allen was still some distance behind but catching up fast. Juno had ran out of shells and was trying to catch up to the runaway Angel.

There was a sudden boom that sounded like something really big hitting something even bigger as air was pushed out of the way as a phase space developed between Unit 01's hands and the Angel. The AT Field stopped all forward motion and prevented the Angel from flowing right around Unit 01.

There was a great sigh of relief all around as Unit 01 stopped right at the edge of the cliff, its heels had crushed the protective metal railing. Asuka took the time to brace Unit 02's legs against the edge of the park's concrete walkways. Allen skidded to a stop on a side opposite Asuka and buried his lance up to the hilt, Angel blood sprayed on Unit 30's white surface. Juno jumped up and landed right on top of the Angel her lance buried itself into what she considered the Angel's bloody back, Unit 32's heels dug into the soft, bloody Angelic matter.

Shinji panted in exertion, a throbbing tic in his temples. "Now what?"

"Everyone, pull it away from the cliff!" Asuka ordered.

"OK!" the other three pilots replied. Juno belatedly realized that she couldn't possibly pull at the Angel since she was on top of it, standing on its very back.

Shinji started to push his AT Field forward and away from the cliff when he felt something give way under his feet.

Shinji's eyes bugged out as Unit 01 began to fall backward as the cliff edge crumbled under Unit 01's feet. The Angel seized the moment and pushed itself forward.

All four pilots screamed as they all tumbled over the edge with the Angel.

Shinji grunted each time his EVA's back bounced off the cliff side. He was falling faster than the Angel and he had some time to reflect that the Angel would crush him when they finally hit the bottom, in which case he wouldn't live through this.

Asuka and Allen both tried to stop the avalanche-like Angel by digging their EVA's feet into the cliff side and pulling back on their lances. There was a scream as Allen's Unit 30's lance snapped in half and sent Allen's EVA flying back, it hit the Angel before bouncing down the cliff side alongside it. Juno tried to keep her EVA balanced on the Angel's back, her lance still buried in the Angel. It was the only thing she could do besides screaming in terror and impotent rage.

Shinji finally felt the ground slam into his back, momentarily stunning him. The boy looked up at the Angel that was a white avalanche bearing down on him, dust and blood in its wake, the sunlight flashed off the Angel and Unit 32's white forms.

Shinji raised Unit 01's arms and spread its hands before it. Shinji knew he had only one chance to survive. He searched within himself for the ability that allowed him to pilot an EVA. He needed all of that ability for what he needed to do. He found it almost instantly. As Maya had once remarked, he had been born to pilot an EVA.

"AT Field, FULL POWER!!" Shinji screamed as he pushed his control sticks forward. He felt his consciousness spread forward in a tight beam. The Angel exploded into a mist of blood as its weak AT Field failed against Unit 01's concentrated AT Field. There were several large crashes as the three other EVAs landed in disarray around Unit 01.

Shinji saw a shadow pass over him and his eyes widened as he saw a lance fall towards him. Unit 01 blurred as it rolled away and jumped unto its feet as the lance buried itself into the ground where Unit 01 used to lie. A light red haze hung over the air, disturbed only by Unit 01's movements.

Allen managed to keep his eyes open long enough to see all of it. The Sun shone down from behind Unit 01. The blood tinged sunlight outlined the purple beast. Allen smiled ruefully. "Shit, he's good," Allen whispered before he blacked out.

"Prepare to retrieve the EVAs," Misato ordered, a satisfied look on her face. She could still feel her heart racing, for a moment there she thought someone was going to die... She felt proud of the pilots for acting on their own initiatives and stopping the enemy without being told what to do.

"That was easy enough," Maya teased as she walked away, she could feel Misato glare at her and she smiled. She stopped and turned towards the Command desk when she saw her husband put down the phone and lean over to the Commander. They both stood up and left.

"What's going on?" Maya asked.

"Ninth Branch was under attack a few minutes ago." Lt. Antoinette said uneasily.

"Angels?" Misato asked, a knot forming in her gut. She would feel a lot better if it were an Angel but Misato knew that it was asking too much.

Lt. Antoinette slowly shook her head. Maya made a horrified sound at the news. Misato reached for her phone when she felt it vibrating in her jacket pocket. She read the message in the textbox and walked towards the Commander's office.

The enemy had made its move.

Sometimes she really hated her job.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Misato: Shinji's sin is revealed as darkness consumes him! The servants of Heaven have rebelled against the Iron Hand! The blood of innocents is spilled and stains the grounds of paradise! In the next episode, Heaven and Hell 1:2 A Red Haze of Sadness! RED ALERT! It's not finished yet!!


	12. A Red Haze of Sadness

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:2 - A Red Haze of Sadness

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:2 - A Red Haze of Sadness**

Shinji shuffled listlessly down the hospital corridor, he wore a pair of light blue hospital pajamas and slippers. The early afternoon light streamed through the windows behind him as he walked. He finally stopped by the door that he had been looking for. He stood there and contemplated his next move.

The pilot took a deep breath and raised his hand. He gave a timid knock before he opened the door and stuck his head into the room.

Toji looked up from the manga he was reading. After that morning's battle the roster was rotated to debrief and monitor the concerned pilots. Yuri, Hikari, and Kensuke were placed on standby, which left Toji without company. He was in his hospital pajamas, the blanket covered his legs. He had pulled up the side table to his bed and leaned on it as he read.

"Well, well if it isn't mister Big Shot himself," Toji smiled widely, welcoming back his long lost friend. "Heard from Dr. Akagi that you got another one this morning."

"Uhm, yeah." Shinji said in embarrassment as he walked in and sat on a chair by Toji's bed. His eyes were downcast, unable to look at his friend. He had been responsible for hurting Toji years before and he had been unable to apologize before he left NERV. He was hoping that now, he could finally make up for that sin. Shinji's right hand clenched and unclenched in agitation.

Toji set aside the comic he was reading and looked at his friend. "So what's eating you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't think you can fool me Ikari! I know you well enough to know something's bothering you." Toji pointed to Shinji's hand. Shinji blushed and tried to cover up his right with his left hand.

"Uh..." Shinji took a deep breath. _'Better late than never.'_ Shinji bowed low in penance. "Toji, I - I'm sorry for hurting you--"

"Is that what's bothering you, Ikari?" Toji curtly interrupted. Shinji looked at him, confusion written all over his face. "God, Ikari! No wonder you can't relate well. You're carrying too much shit."

Shinji blinked. "But I almost killed you! You lost your arm and leg because of me!"

"You did what you had to do! Nothing less than what you should do. I knew the risks when I agreed. Hell, I've been friends with you long enough to know that this job could fuck me up. Anyway, I've gotten used to this new arm and leg they gave me that I've forgotten they're not original parts." Toji grinned, joking about his prosthetic limbs.

"But..." Shinji averted his eyes.

"Look Shinji, if it ain't bothering Hikari, I sure as Hell ain't gonna let it bother me. And if I ain't bothered, why should you be? Besides, if Asuka had been the one they chose for that little stunt, I'd be dead. You're the only reason I lived through that."

Shinji nodded, feeling a great weight lift from his chest. Gratitude shone on his face. "Thank you, Toji."

"No." Toji interrupted, smiling. "Thank you. If anything good came out of it, it brought me and Hikari together."

Shinji smiled as the world seemed a brighter place.

000

"UNIT 27 ACTIVATING!"

"ENEMY HAS REACHED THE EVA CAGE!!"

Misato watched in rapt attention as the monitor was filled with sub-screens, each showed a different scene. But they all showed a massacre. Ninth Branch's last surviving pilot had managed to activate his EVA and had started striking out at the rebels. The silver and black EVA was streaked red with blood as it used its bare hands to crush its human enemies.

"At 1230 hours local time Ninth Branch's MAGI agreed to self-destruct the base and activated the five-minute delay protocol." Lt. Miyuki Kata read off the transcript sent by Ninth Branch's MAGI. "At 1231, Unit 27 escaped the branch and headed towards Tenth Branch in Mexico." Several screens showed the EVA burst out of the base and spread its wings and fly off. "At 1232, Ninth Branch MAGI went off-line. Satellites verify that Ninth Branch had not self-destructed."

Lights came alive in the briefing room. Commander Santiago, Col. Makoto Hyuga, Dr. Maya Ibuki, and several other high ranking officers were seated around a long table, their chairs turned toward the large wall monitors. The squeaking of chairs was heard as the officers turned their chair to face the table again.

Everyone waited for Lt. Kata to leave the room before starting their discussion.

"Unit 27 was recovered near the Nicaraguan border. Its pilot verifies that all other pilots were killed when a bomb exploded in the locker room right before a Synch Test." Makoto said, his voice strangely drawn and cold.

"Traitors..." someone muttered out loud.

"The UN General Committee for Security has ordered that all branches send two pilots and their respective EVAs to the Tenth Branch in order to retake the Ninth." Commander Santiago said.

"Pardon sir," Misato raised her hand to ask a question she already knew the answers to. "What for? The rebels may have the EVAs but no pilots. A ground attack would be much more efficient, or baring that, four EVAs from the Tenth Branch would be enough."

"I have to agree sir," Maya said after making some quick calculations. "That's two EVAs from each of the remaining eleven bases plus the Tenth Branch's eight. That's thirty EVAs. Thirty-one if they send in Unit 27 as well. If the UN wants a show of force, isn't this too much?" There was a murmur of assent from all the other officers.

"Sir, we do have the Angels to contend with, we need all available EVAs here." One of the officers added, drawing more murmurs from the others.

Santiago raised his hand and the room fell silent.

"First, the UN wants to teach everyone a lesson that it will not allow anyone to undermine its power." He pauses and takes measure of the grim officers in the room. "Secondly, the enemy has pilots."

"What?!" Everyone cried out, shocked by the news. Everyone except for Misato.

"Each base commander is equipped with this," Santiago takes out a key-card from where it hung from a chain inside his tunic. "It opens a vault where there are dummy plugs for each of the base's EVAs. And most of you here know how powerful a dummy plug EVA can get." There were surprised whispering among the officers. Makoto looked at his commander not believing that he was not told about this beforehand.

"We were able to stop them once..." an officer said without much conviction.

"The UN had changed the programming, improving immensely on the old one. They totally omitted Dr. Akagi's safeguard and rear-door programs. The General Committee for Security thought it will be an added strength when they needed it." Santiago sounded tired. "Thirty-one EVAs would hopefully have to do."

The room fell silent.

"Who do we send?" Misato asked the much needed question.

Santiago looked at her, his face devoid of emotion. "You choose."

000

Shinji cracked the door open and peeked in. He had knocked several times and wondered why Asuka had not answered. Asuka lay on the bed with her blanket drawn up to her chin, her eyes closed in peaceful sleep. The monitoring equipment beside her was turned off so he could hear her even breathing.

Shinji thought of going away. This was so much like the time he had often tried to forget. The moment that always came back to haunt him during restless nights. It was that moment that made him hate himself. Vision of naked skin and the sensation of warm flesh flashed through his mind. Shinji grimaced and willed the memories away. He sighed sadly as he turned away.

"Shinji? Is that you?" Asuka cried out from the room. The boy gave a surprised "Ack!" before turning back to the cracked doorway.

"Um, yes."

"Why don't you come in? I feel like I had the plague or something if you continue talking to me from behind that stupid door," Asuka chuckled trying hard not to remember the last time he talked to her from behind a partition, the time he left Tokyo-3 after the Eighteenth Incident. Shinji peered through the crack and saw that she was still in the same position but her head was turned towards the door an amused expression on her face.

"I thought you were sleeping..." he replied apologetically.

"I won't talk to you until you come in here, Shinji Ikari." Asuka said in a scolding tone, she turned her head away to snub him. With a sigh of resignation, Shinji walked into the room and absent-mindedly locked the door behind him. Asuka noticed but did not say anything. She could feel his racing heartbeat, the sense of foreboding urgency about him.

"Um, so, do you feel better?" Shinji asked with an uncomfortable smile.

"Yeah, but my back still hurts," she smiled ruefully at him. "I guess it's no surprise that you're up on your feet before any of us."

Shinji blushed at the unanticipated compliment. But he also had a very guilty thought that she may be naked under the covers like the last time he had visited her two years past. He felt his heart skip as Asuka adjusted herself on the bed and the clean white sheets fall away from her to reveal-- A pair of light blue hospital pajamas underneath. Asuka stacked her pillows against the headboard and leaned back on it with a contented sigh. When she looked back at her visitor, Shinji's face was turned down and away, a definite blush on his cheeks. Asuka noticed that his hands clenched and unclenched on his lap. She knew that he only did that when something bothered him.

"Shinji?"

"Um, y-yes Asuka?" Shinji tried to look back at her but found it impossible to look her in the face. So he dropped his eyes a little lower and found it fixed on a very interesting spot below the curve of her pajamas' collar. He gulped audibly and he dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Is anything wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?" Asuka could feel her heart beat faster. _'Like 'Asuka, I love you'.'_

"I- I," Shinji swallowed uneasily, his heartbeat seemed as loud as drums in his ears. A tense moment of silence passed. "I've got to go."

Shinji stood up and hurriedly turned away from her. Behind him he heard the fluttering of the blanket as it was thrown off. Shinji stopped as he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned his head and was treated to a magnificent view of Asuka leaning forward, her pajama top was loose enough to give him a sight to remember. Shinji blushed harder and tried to pull away from Asuka, but her grip became tighter and the expression she wore dared him to resist.

"No. We have to talk." Her tone indicated that he had no choice.

000

The restrooms in the hospital were characteristically clean and reeked of sterilizing agents. A toilet flushed and a stall door opened as a nurse went out. She straightens her uniform then walks over to the faucets and began washing her hands. She bent over and smiled at herself into the mirror as she scrubbed her hands to regulation cleanliness, the soap foam washed down the drain.

She blinked as she noticed the red stuff coming out of the ventilators in the mirror's reflection. She turned slowly, feeling that she was in a horror show. An unreal but terrifying horror built up within her as the red mist flowed across the floor towards her.

Her scream echoed throughout the restroom.

000

**EVA Cooling Pool 4**

Ritsuko Akagi leaned back against a wall as she observed the technicians wash away the blood from the EVAs. She was in one of the empty control stations that overlooked the EVA hangar. She held a lit cigarette in one hand and a sheaf of papers in the other one. She knew that by merely possessing the top secret documents in her hands, she could get herself killed.

"Bastards," Ritsuko said contemptuously. She had warned them to destroy all data on the creation of the dummy plugs. The artificial pilots were exponentially stronger than any human pilot and provided good backup in case a human pilot suddenly lost the ability to synchronize with the EVAs or refused to follow orders. However the dummy plugs cannot control the Beast within the EVAs because the dummy plugs did not have real souls. She had to admit to being amazed that such an abstract term like soul could have so much meaning when applied to an Evangelion. The General Committee for Security however had laughed at her when she had said the word 'Soul' in her case against the dummy project. That was the primary reason she left, they no longer listened to her.

The General Committee for Security was not SEELE. At least the bastards at SEELE knew what she was talking about. She gave a grimace and stuffed the papers into an inside pocket of her coat. SEELE was gone and though they were cold-hearted bastards, at least Ritsuko could understand their agenda. Who wouldn't want the power to change the world?

She closed her eyes and took a drag from her cigarette.

Ritsuko had to admit that the dummy plug's failsafe was quite ingenious. Now, the dummy plugs had souls - technically. From a scientific point of view, the system was nothing short of magnificent. Well designed, efficient, without being clouded by human error. Then whatever sense of humanity Ritsuko had suddenly kicked in and she began to hate whoever redesigned the dummy plugs. She had to agree with Santiago that the ends don't justify the means-

"This is a non-smoking area, Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko almost gagged on her cigarette at the unexpected voice. She turned and saw a young girl beam at her. The girl had long black hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing an over-sized red leather jacket over her white plugsuit. A small number forty was printed on the flat of her chest below her suit's neck armor.

"Um, you're Yuriko, right?" Ritsuko said as she dropped her cigarette on the floor and snuffed it out with her boot. For a while there, she thought she had outlived her usefulness.

"Uh-huh. But you can call me Yuri, Ma'am." Ritsuko watched as the girl wrinkled her nose. "Yuck, what's that red stuff all over the EVAs?"

"Blood." Ritsuko said as she looked at the EVAs and the red stuff that the technicians were blasting away with water cannons. "Angel blood to be exact."

"Oh." Yuri went over to the workstations by the window and leaned against it as she watched what happened below her. The four powerful Evangelions getting a nice scrub.

Ritsuko stole a sidelong glance at the girl and got a twinge of guilt. She wondered what suffering the child had undergone in the past two years. Whatever they were, she, the great Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, was responsible for it. Two years ago she could have ended human suffering and would have been instrumental in humanity's evolution to the next stage of existence. But instead, she joined those that thwarted the new hope and had plunged the world into darkness.

She was responsible for all the death and suffering in the world for the last two years. Ritsuko sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. That was one heck of a burden to have on one's conscience.

"AAAAEEEEIIIII!!"

Ritsuko's eyes snapped open at the scream and she went to the workstation where Yuri was still leaning over. The child's eyes were wide open in horror. Several stories below them lay the crumpled forms of several technicians, a red mist swirled about their bodies. Several other technicians were retreating from the red mist that seemed to move on its own.

"What's going on?!" Yuri asked frantically as the alarms sounded. Ritsuko's eyes narrowed and she started to run away from the area, pulling Yuri with her. She felt the AT Field making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up - an Angel had invaded the geofront.

000

SLAP!

Shinji's dark blue eyes contained more pain than the slap could have physically given. He slowly raised a trembling hand to gingerly touch his tender cheek. He knew he shouldn't have told her. He knew he shouldn't have hoped for her understanding and forgiveness. Hell, he knew her enough to know that now, she would try to kill him.

Asuka's sky blue eyes showed pain and anger from what he had just confessed. She felt betrayed. Shinji betrayed her by what he had done. And she had betrayed herself for thinking he really cared for her. Her hand was still raised from the slap she gave him.

"GET OUT YOU BASTARD!!" Asuka yelled at him her finger pointing at the door. She began spewing curses in all the languages she knew. Shinji's eyes dimmed and he dejectedly walked out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Asuka stopped cursing, panting heavily. He had betrayed her. She couldn't believe that the first person she had trusted since her mother had betrayed her too. Asuka took one of the pillows and hugged it as tight as she could, feeling that the world was suddenly not so safe anymore.

He had betrayed her...

000

"Third to Eight Wings have been sealed!"

"We have reports of one hundred ninety-eight personnel trapped within those areas, status unknown."

"Any information on what it is? Besides being an Angel of course," Misato turned Maya.

"It has the same wave pattern as the Twenty-First, so I guess the bastard did have a surprise for us." Maya twitched uncomfortably. It had been several hours since they thought they destroyed the Angel. In those hours, the Angel had managed to elude their scanners and enter the geofront. "The previous form was probably a chrysalis stage prior to its ultimate form."

"Report of the Angel in Fortieth Block!"

"Seal it off! The Angel seems to be in several places at once, Dr. Ibuki." Commander Santiago noted coldly. "Do you have any suggestions on how we should deal with it?"

Maya bit her lip and slowly shook her head.

"Then I suggest you find one."

Maya looked at him, her eyes blazed in anger and determination. She gave a crisp military salute then executed a smart about-face. Misato watched uneasily as Maya marched off.

000

Shinji was on the hospital's rooftop, he leaned against the shoulder high railing looking down at the city. His unkempt hair billowed in the wind. Several stories below him lay the gray concrete street, shimmering in the afternoon heat.

"So easy..." he muttered to himself. Just the brief rush of the air then nothing...

Shinji grasped the top of the metal railing and pushed himself up until he was balanced on the railing, the top half of his body leaned over the edge while his feet were off the roof. All it would take was a slight push forward...

_Shinji stood by the bedside of an auburn-haired girl. For once, the cranial transmitters that she had always worn out of pride were gone. Her white blanket covered her up to her chin. The monitoring equipment beside her gave monotonous beeps that verified the nurse's statement that she had been heavily sedated because of emotional trauma._

_His lips quivered and his eyes were red with suppressed tears. He had just killed a friend. The first friend he had really opened up to and he killed him. He was an Angel they kept telling him. But he had been his friend and a loved one._

_"Asuka, wake up, Asuka," he sobbed out. She was the only one left for him to go to. Misato had problems of her own and was not sympathetic since Koworu had been an enemy. Misato hated Angels with a vengeance. And for the past few days they had been drifting apart. Misato was starting to scare him. He could not go to his father. His father would not understand and he did not know how to talk to him. Dr. Akagi was missing and he was not really close to her._

_Kensuke's father had Kensuke moved to Tokyo-2 where he would be safer. He could have gone to Hikari but he didn't really know her that well. He was still guilty about what happened to Toji and couldn't go to see him. And Rei... she was not the person he thought her to be._

_"Help me, help me, help me, I don't know what to do." Tears streamed from his eyes. "You've always called me stupid. You're right. I am stupid. I don't know what to do. I just killed my friend. I opened up my heart to him then I killed him. What should I do?"_

_Asuka's__ gentle breathing answered him and a desperate frown creased his forehead._

_"Help me, help me Asuka," he said as he gently shook her. "You're the only one who can..."_

_He needed answers and Asuka had always been insistent on her superiority. She was the only one who could help him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and started to shake her more violently. "Asuka!"_

_The blanket fell off her body to reveal her nakedness. The wires connected to the life monitor system were attached below her collarbone. Below that, her starkly pale flesh was as bare as the day she was born._

_Shinji felt the world stop. He was barely aware that his heart had began to thump loudly in his ears. His mind screamed at him that he was just a child. Just a child. He must decide if wished to grow up or stay a child. Grow up or stay a child. In the space of a moment, a decision was made. And Shinji crossed the line..._

_The indicator on the door read "locked". Clothes were scattered on the floor beside a blanket. The bed spring squeaked with each movement that was made. The young man's hands shook with uncontrollable lust and anticipation as it moved over the young resilient flesh. His breath came in quick gasps as he kissed her lips hungrily. She was a demoness. A bitch. She had always put him down. He felt no regret._

_It was time and he could feel himself start to lose control. He looked at her face. She looked so sweet and virginal. All traces of the demoness were gone. She was an angel. A sweet angel. The lust drained from the young man's eyes and sadness and horror crept in as he spilled his seed over her . He felt so dirty, so ashamed._

_"I hate myself," he cried bitterly as his tears fell on her pale skin. He had crossed the line to adulthood, paying with the tattered remains of their innocence._

Shinji sighed as he slowly lowered himself until his feet touched the floor again. He turned and slumped against the railing and hugged himself tightly.

"Running away again. No. I mustn't run away."

He felt the wind blow beside him and in his peripheral vision he saw Rei wearing her old school uniform. He turned his head but the image of Rei was gone. He saw an explosion from the center of the city.

"What the--?!"

000

Maya intently watched the monitor. The red mist swirled at the EVAs feet, the bodies of the technicians were almost hidden from view.

"Laser ready!" Lt. Miyuki Kata reported. Her finger poised on the fire button.

"Fire." Maya said without taking her eyes of the monitor. They heard the buzz as the laser fired. Small hexagons of light appeared over the mist and there was a metallic sounding ping as the laser beam was deflected back towards the cannon.

"Laser destroyed!"

"..." Maya straightened and began to read the data off another monitor.

"SIR!!" Miyuki cried out and pointed towards the monitor. The wave patterns displayed on the monitors began to fluctuate. The line graph began to go over the limit.

Maya and the others in the science lab watched in horror as one of the bodies stood up with jerking movements. Its jaw was slack and hung open, the eyes were dead and unseeing. It started to move clumsily towards a door control panel. It stopped for a moment then reached into a pocket on its coverall. It drew out a key-card and slid it unsteadily over the slot. The door beeped as it opened.

Other bodies began to come alive standing with jerking movements like zombies. They followed the first one out of the cooling pool, the red mist swirling about them.

000

Yuri found herself in a locker room with Ritsuko. Ritsuko started stripping her clothes, which made the girl blush. Yuri was amazed that a science nerd like Dr. Akagi could have a magnificent body. When she was in her lacy, black, silk underwear, Ritsuko opened a large locker that snapped open with a hiss of escaping gas.

Yuri peered around the woman to see what was inside and saw a large plastic suit with a bubble-type helmet. Ritsuko glanced at her and saw that the girl was slightly blushing.

"What? Haven't seen a radiation suit before?"

000

Gunshots echoed through the sound system followed by screams as various security positions got overwhelmed.

"Sir, more zombies- I meant enemies detected in block 5!" Lt. Corrie Hayes announced.

"Shut off manual door locks. Make sure the door controls are exclusively operated from Central Dogma! Shut off all vent access between corrupted and clean areas!" Misato ordered.

"Sir! First power transfer station has been destroyed! Fire reported in Tokyo-3!" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix shouted.

"God help us. They're everywhere." Makoto whispered. Misato took a sidelong glance at him.

000

Juno Hurst. British pilot of Evangelion Unit 32. Fourteen years old. Short red hair and ebony eyes. She gave a contented sigh as she buttoned on a pair of well-worn jeans. She started pulling off the pajama top, hating the way it had made her feel naked by its lightness. A few minutes ago she had heard the explosions and the screams and the pilot decided that her hospital stay should be shorter than what the doctor had recommended.

The door slammed open making Juno shriek as she pulled the pajama top to her bare chest. She turned and saw a female nurse standing in the open doorway.

"Do you mind? I'm changing--" she stopped as the nurse started to lurch towards her. Juno suddenly felt very vulnerable and very much in trouble. She felt something primal stir within her, something that made her very afraid. A terror to be exact. A terror she had felt before. A familiar feeling of dread.

"Um, what do you want?" Juno stammered as she began to inch away from the nurse. The nurse had a blank expression on her face and her jaw was slack. Juno noticed the scalpel in the nurse's hand. She also noted the specks of blood on the nurse's hands and uniform. Gritting her teeth and hoping that no one came in, Juno threw her pajama top at the nurse's face and dove across the bed towards her backpack which lay on the other side on a side table.

The bed toppled to its side spilling Juno on the floor, the nurse was left on the other side of the overturned bed, fumbling with the piece of clothing that blinded her. Juno desperately began to rummage in her backpack while the nurse was still pre-occupied.

Juno could feel her heart quaking in fear as her fingers failed to find her little contingency plan. She froze as she felt warm blood drip on her bare back. She slowly turned around and looked up at the nurse. The nurse had managed to rip the pajama top away but had forgotten that she had been carrying a scalpel in her hand. The nurse's face was torn to shreds by the scalpel, one eye out of its socket. The nurse didn't seem to mind. Juno felt absolute terror as the nurse raised the scalpel.

Juno's fingers touched cold metal. A triumphant smile on her face, she raised her bag. The scalpel came down.

A quick flash.

Blood splattered against the wall and the white sheets. Juno's eyes were wide open, unblinking. Blood slowly dripped down her face.

Juno blinked.

The nurse lay in a pool of blood, her head blown off. Juno's bag was wrecked, a scalpel was stuck to it and a smoking bullet hole clearly visible in its underside. She drew her hand out of her bag, a large caliber handgun in her grasp. The gun shook in her hands.

000

**First Briefing Room  
Tactics and Planning Section**

"Pattern has changed significantly when the Angel bonds with a human host," Maya began her briefing of the officers and department heads in the small theater-like briefing room. She glanced up to look at Santiago who stood across her with his arms crossed. She would have felt triumphant had she not learned of the cost of victory.

"After bonding, the Angel loses its mist form and becomes fully dependent on the host body. It also loses the protection of the AT Field's shielding because it uses it to keep control of the infected body."

Lt. Antoinette St. Croix raised her hand, "Uhm, Sir? You're making it sound like they're still alive."

Maya looked up sadly. The cost of victory was a dreadful price to pay. "They are. We've read human Ego patterns using the life sign detectors that we use to monitor the pilots in the EVAs."

A moment of shocked silence followed.

"The Angel uses its mist form to invade the host's respiratory system. Once inside, the Angel acts like a virus that infects the host's nervous system, taking over it. It can therefore access the host's motor system and probably even memories. At the start, the Angel will have difficulty using the new body, but as time elapses, motor control becomes normal and even above normal. They can fire guns, operate doors and even initiate self-destruct systems. And through all this, the human host is fully aware but not in control."

Some officers nervously shifted at the mention of self-destruct systems. Santiago made no reaction but a certain hard edge came to his eyes.

"Can the Angel still transfer once the host is destroyed?" Santiago asked, his voice even and cold.

"No. Once the host dies, the parasite follows suit. We've observed this from the gunfights our security forces had had with them."

"How do we kill it?" Misato asked, her eyes still focussed on the data that she couldn't really decipher.

"I can whip up some bio-agent that can kill the Angel without killing the host, but it will take some time," Maya replied uncomfortably. "The Angel has already occupied most of the lower levels and is trying to get into Terminal Dogma. The companies assigned there have fallen to the Angel."

"SIR!!" Lt. Miyuki Kata barged into the room panting. "Pattern Blue detected topside! Infection is centered around our secure medical facility!"

"It's going after the Children..." Makoto gasped.

"All security personnel are to prepare to clear the Angel out of my Branch! Full Bio-warfare SOP for the whole branch. Warn the civilians at Tokyo-3 to stay indoors and wear their gas masks. Tell them terrorists have launched a biological attack which results in loss of motor control, insanity, and death. Anyone manifesting symptoms of infection are to be avoided and are to be reported to us. First and Second security companies are to secure the Children."

"Sir, the soldiers will not kill their friends," Antoinette cried out. "They're still human beings!"

"No one outside this room knows or will know that the Angel's hosts are anything other than dead. Dr. Ibuki, delete all evidence of your findings. As of now, Dr. Ibuki's findings did not exist." Santiago said coldly, looking into each officer's eyes. Some looked away uneasily, some stared back with anger, some had blank looks in their eyes. But no one dared go against the order. "Dismissed."

He didn't wait for them to file out of the briefing room before heading for his office across the hallway. He knew what he had to do. Unlike Ikari, he preferred doing his own dirty work. He actually relished it.

Santiago took his clothes off. He paused in what he was doing as the door opened without warning. He berated himself for getting caught with his pants down. Figuratively and literally.

"If you don't mind Colonel, please close the door," he said as he reached into the hidden floor panel behind his desk. Of course he saw the gun the Colonel aimed at him, but he'd be damned if he'd show that it bothered him.

"Don't move." Misato's ice cold voice ordered.

Santiago straightened to his full height and looked at Misato with his dark eyes. He knew that he towered almost a head over the younger officer, but he also knew that right now he was as intimidating as any other naked man. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He was not about to let such trivial things as nudity and an angry subordinate get in his way.

"You just condemned about half a thousand people to death," she nearly snarled out.

"Do you prefer six billion?" He almost smiled as Misato's gun wavered slightly. "The last time, three billion people died. I will not let that happen on my watch."

"So you sacrifice a few hundred?" Misato steadied her gun with both hands.

Santiago frowned. He knew Misato was a soldier, a fine military strategist who knew the concept of acceptable losses. So what could get her so riled up against such clear cut numbers? Then it hit him with its simplicity. "Katsuragi, you are worried about Pilot Suzuhara and Dr. Akagi, aren't you?"

Misato's jaw clenched as she tried to focus on her anger at the man that just killed her best friend and one of her Children. She blinked away the tears welling up in her eyes.

A mistake.

She grunted as Santiago barreled into her and slammed her into the floor. Hand to hand combat was never her favorite subject at the Academy. Her gun slid across the floor to hit the far wall. In a moment, Santiago had her pinned down. She looked up with hate filled eyes at her Commander. She nearly gasped out at the sad, haunted look in his eyes. Then the look was gone and only steel looked back at her.

Santiago pushed himself off her and went to his desk, his back open to her. He then reached into the hidden floor panel and took out a black body glove. Misato watched from the floor as he dressed up, first the body glove, then the rest of the radiation suit. "Katsuragi, I think you should make sure that the other Children are safe."

Misato nodded numbly as Santiago took up a rifle and loaded it. He noticed her look at the rifle. "Get going. We can't risk losing any more pilots."

000

"Are all teams ready?" Colonel Makoto Hyuga asked the nearest control officer. On the main monitor was a list of all the sections of NERV-1, red 'Lost' signs marked a lot of them. Commander Santiago had elected to go with one of the security teams to secure Terminal Dogma, leaving Makoto in command. Everyone had on their radiation suits though some still had the helmets off. "Damn, this feels like the last time."

Makoto looked at the observation deck. Hikari Horaki paced the floor nervously in her radiation suit, wringing the straps of the bubble-helmet she held in her hand. Yuriko Suzuhara has still not returned and was presumed to have been trapped in one of the Angel controlled areas.

Kensuke Aida sat on a couch, a machinegun in his hands and a helmet by his side. His eyes were closed and his forefinger lazily tapped on the metal sides of the gun.

Hikari stopped and looked in irritation at Kensuke. "Will you please stop that. It's creeping me out."

000

The stairs were rushing towards him. His breath felt like fire as he ran, his lungs burned from exertion. Shinji had heard the screams and saw the people fly out of the windows into the streets. His legs ached from running but the fear drove him on. He came to the landing and pushed the hallway doors open.

The young man froze, his heart in his throat. The hallway walls were splattered with blood. He felt sick at the sight of the ripped apart bodies. But he had to find her. He began to run towards her room. He saw blood seep out from under the door and he began to tremble. His hand touched the blood splattered doorknob and twisted it open.

"ASUKA!!" He pushed the door open. He saw a doctor slumped across the floor, its body riddled with bullets. The bed was turned over but it was empty. "Asuka..."

He heard someone in the doorway behind him and he whirled around, his heart pounding. Shinji saw another doctor, his white coat splattered with blood, a blank stare on the doctor's face.

"Doctor! What happened here!!" Shinji shouted as he made his way to the doorway, making sure to step away from the pool of blood, not wanting to slip. His blue slippers were already wet with blood, the red, sticky liquid squished underneath his feet and toes.

The doctor looked at him.

000

The armored personnel carriers screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. Bodies and slivers of glass littered the hospital grounds. The armored panels opened and NERV soldiers in white radiation suit and carrying black rifles poured out. Misato looked coldly out of her bubble helmet. "Second company secure the grounds, First company, follow me!"

Misato's soldiers rushed into the massacre in the hospital lobby. Bodies and pieces of human flesh littered the floor. The blood was almost half an inch deep.

"KIII-YA!"

Everyone turned towards the shout and saw someone wearing hospital pajamas fly down a flight of stairs to thud sickeningly on the floor. The person tried to get up, not seeming to mind that its arm was broken. A flower vase flew down and crashed on its head. The person slumped lifelessly onto the floor.

"And stay down!" a female voice shouted from the stairs. Misato gave a relieved sigh at the familiar voice.

"Asuka!" Misato shouted as she rushed towards the stairs.

000

Maya sat on her chair and looked with bloodshot, puffy eyes at the bubbling liquid contained in the beaker. It took less than three hours to decipher the Angel DNA and come up with the counteragent.

Now they could immunize everyone and ensure that even if the Twenty First Angel left behind some of its cells, it would die upon possessing a host. They can probably even use the knowledge gained to use against the next Angel, though the MAGI had already computed how low that chance would be.

Ritsuko would have been proud of her.

"All sections clear. Scanners detect no more Angel wave patterns within the base or the city." Lt. Corrie Hayes announced in a tired voice. It had been eight hours since NERV began its counter-attack. Nine hundred and seventy NERV personnel were dead and more were injured. Civilian casualties were also high when the Angel attacked a NERV hospital. Corrie found it frightening that the Angel seemed to have known that the Children were there.

"We've lived through the Night of the Living Dead," Corrie mumbled to himself as he looked at the data on his monitor about the large number of dead people. He pushed a button and the MAGI Super Computers started deleting all files on the casualties. The only files that will be left will be a hard copy report on Commander Santiago's desk.

"It's as if it never happened," Lt. Miyuki Kata whispered to herself. "The relatives would never know what really happened. It will all be attributed to terrorists, not to our failure to stop the Angel in time."

Lt. Antoinette St. Croix just sat in her seat, staring numbly at the palms of her open hands. "I feel so dirty," she finally mumbled.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Maya: It's happening all over again! Children against machine! EVA against EVA! Human against human! Why do humans have to fight each other? Heaven and Hell 1:3 I Hate to Say Goodbye.

ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTES;

Yeah he raped her. But before you start screaming at me that Shinji couldn't do that, well...

1) He is not in the right frame of mind during the morning of the Eighteenth Incident. He had just killed someone very dear to him and was basically in a fucked up state of mind.

2) He does have hidden desires for Asuka, clearly demonstrated in Episode 20 of the series. When he was absorbed in Unit 01 and started having dreams, one of them was about Rei, Asuka, and Misato all offering to be one with him, body and soul. Which is his subconscious desire to be with one or all of these women who had made such an impact on his life. This was also shown in The End of Evangelion where he finally settled on Asuka who rejected him. (or I may just be a hentai and misread the scenes ;)

3) Shinji is a healthy, regular teenager riding the wave of puberty. Read: hormonally imbalanced and very curious. He really couldn't help it as Episode 10 (the infamous thermal expansion episode) clearly demonstrated. Though his timidity prevents him from being a drooling, skirt chasing, panty stealing pervert and he actually denies being sexually curious (AHA! Denial! The first sign!).

4) The fact that Asuka was naked, unresisting (all right, she was drugged), and probably wouldn't know, drove him over the edge at the wrong moment.

In this fic, Shinji tried to justify his action by thinking that Asuka deserved to be punished for all the abuse he suffered at her hands. But he feels guilty about what he did to her and added to that were his previous emotions from killing Koworu - Shinji's self-loathing sky-rocketed! This resulted to his other sin: Trying to start Third Impact!

Besides by the end of this fic, he really didn't.

What do I mean?

Sore wa himitsu desu.


	13. I Hate to Say Goodbye

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:3 - I Hate to Say Goodbye

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:3 - I Hate to Say Goodbye**

Asuka looked out the window and down at the clouds, at the shadows that the EVA transport cast upon the white wisps. The droning hum of the engines that persisted throughout the transport made sleep nearly impossible. She could have ridden on the more comfortable UN personnel transport but she wanted to be alone for the moment. Misato had been concerned but Asuka had been adamant.

Asuka looked out the small window, at the fighter planes that flew alongside the gigantic flying wings that carried Unit 02 and Unit 15. From where she sat, Asuka couldn't see the personnel transport that carried the technical crew for both EVAs and Unit 15's pilot.

Sighing, the auburn beauty leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

She wanted to forget the hurt that she left at home; a boy whose name is Shinji.

000

The Monster roared.

The Angel looked as if surprised that its enemy did not cower in fear.

But there was fear. And anger. A killing rage was in the air, as palpable as the stink of blood.

They faced off, the most ancient of adversaries.

The smell of blood. The feel of flesh ripping in clawed hands. The roar of pain, anger, and fear as each being grappled for supremacy.

In the end, Divinity was no match for the Monster's hatred.

Red... everything was red. Its coppery tang and fishy smell clung to everything...

Then --

The embracing peace of darkness.

The Monster whimpered.

"shhh... it's alright Shinji, it's alright..." Rei whispered into the boy's ear as she cradled his head wrapped in blood stained bandages.

000

"Aim for the center... Switch." A child's voice chanted almost reverently. The roar of a palette rifle echoed through the stillness. On the main screen, several small explosions dotted the surface of an Angel and the Angel was finally engulfed in a large explosion. Some distance away a new Angel reappeared only to meet a similar fate after the same chant.

Maya looked at the gigantic biomechanical monstrosity that was an EVA Series Five Mass Production Model which was based on EVA Unit 04 which had disappeared along with NERV 2nd Branch. Its immense mass was painted white with red highlights. Two eyes were set upon an armored head above a short jutting chin. The jaw binder was specifically contoured so that the teeth or fangs were still protected even if the jaw ever opens (an event that the designers hope never happens).

"Her synch ratio's down." Maya noted as she checked her data. "50 synch ratio, down by 10 from the last test."

"What do you expect? She's traumatized from the fact that she nearly died from a terrorist gas attack." Ritsuko commented from her seat in a corner, drinking coffee from a mug. Unlike the child in the monster, she knew the truth. What tried to kill them the day before was nothing man made.

Misato watched the EVA move about in the large empty room. It would suddenly jerk up the palette rifle and pull the trigger at the walls. She knew that outwardly it may be doing nothing, but to the pilot inside a complicated simulation test was ensuing. They could hear the familiar chanting of the pilot through the communication gear inside the EVA.

"Aim for the center... Switch." Yuri chanted before pulling the trigger on her control sticks. Another Angel went bye-bye. It felt harder to control the EVA, it was more sluggish, as if a barrier had been erected between her and the EVA.

"Try to run target type thirteen dash E number twenty," Ritsuko suggested. Lt. Miyuki Kata glanced up at Maya who nodded assent.

"Aim for--" Yuri stopped chanting when she saw the next target. The people in the control room looked on in interest.

"Yuri, destroy the target," Maya commanded. They watched as a graph fluctuated.

"Aim for the center..." Yuri paused longer than usual. She could feel her heart tear itself apart with the last word; "switch." Toji's EVA was pockmarked by small explosion before it disappeared in a huge explosion. Unit 20 was completely destroyed. The monitors began to break up into rainbow patterns.

"Synch ratio falling. Zero percentage reached. Auto disconnect." Lt. Miyuki commented. They could hear the child crying inside the EVA.

"Misato, I think you should talk to her. If I'm reading this right, things would start going to Hell from now on. We'll need all the pilots at peak performance." Ritsuko commented as she sipped her coffee. Misato stood facing the EVA, her arms crossed.

000

Asuka stood imperiously with her back to her precious Unit 02's face, her arms crossed as she looked out and down at the basecamp for the assault team she had been assigned to. The red beast knelt, encased in a prefabricated mobile cage.

From below came the sound of machinery and marching soldiers. The din nearly drowned out the sound of the distant artillery.

Slowly, Asuka's arms uncrossed and one of her hands lay gently upon the side of her EVA.

"It's just you and me now, Mother..." she whispered to the EVA. The young woman refused to cry.

Outside the tent reserved for pilots, Kensuke sat at a table. The pilot looked at Asuka in concern as he sealed a large, bulky envelope.

000

"Ritsuko."

Ritsuko turned to face Misato as she continued washing her hands after using the toilet. She smelled trouble and the washroom was the last place she would have chosen to have this confrontation.

"Why was Rei in the hospital? You told me she was sent to Tokyo-2 for a test!"

"I am not allowed to tell you, and neither is Rei. It would be better if you didn't know." Ritsuko dried her hands with deliberate slowness.

Misato's eyes narrowed dangerously. "These are MY children. I am not allowed not to know!"

Ritsuko calmly removed her glasses.

000

**Combined Operations Command  
NERV-1**

Lt. Corrie Hayes sat in rapt attention at his workstation. Lt. Antoinette St. Croix kept glancing at him, wondering why the usually energetic young man seemed to be sitting still for once. What Antoinette didn't know was that Corrie had mastered taking catnaps with his eyes open.

Lt. Miyuki Kata was not on the bridge since the Commander sent her to the different Tokyo-3 hospitals to see to the vaccination of the entire city population.

Maya came up to the bridge and saw that more than half of the control officers and technicians in the theatre were dead on their feet. They were on their second straight day of work. The inoculation of the base personnel against the Twenty-First Angel had an unfortunate side-effect: almost one third of the patients tend to get high fever. Added to that were the losses incurred in the Twenty-first Incident - the First Branch was shorthanded - way below the minimum required for the full war conditions currently in effect.

"Does anyone know where Colonel Hyuga is?"

"Huh? Um, no, Doctor?" Lt. Corrie Hayes answered as he swiveled his chair around to face Maya. "I could have him paged if you want."

Maya bit her lower lip. "No. That will not be necessary."

She went back the way she came, wondering why her husband seemed to be avoiding her - dreading the possible answer.

000

A stone plunked into the lake's surface. Toji looked on as his little sister wound back and let loose another stone. They had gone to the geofront's park to unwind, away from the crowds of Tokyo-3. Yuri wore a pink jersey, shorts and sneakers. Toji wore jeans, a white tank top and black sneakers. He unconsciouly scratched his left shoulder.

"I think I should talk to her," Toji said, grunting as he stood up. Hikari looked up at him and just nodded. She knew that the brother and sister should also have time to catch up. Toji gave her his hand so that he could pull her up.

"OK. I'm sorry but I have to go now, my leave time starts at five." Hikari said smiling happily at the young man. She gently laid her left hand on Toji's chest. A simple gold band with a small diamond was on her ring finger. "I'll be gone for three days."

The two looked at each other, understanding without any more words being said. They both looked at Yuri who had her back to them. Hikari walked off, waving good bye. Toji watched her walk away with bated breath. He relaxed as he saw the shadows move - her hidden escorts.

"Yuri-chan," Toji said as he walked over to the girl. He could remember the days he had helped her do her coloring books. The days he sat by her hospital bed as she healed her wounds after the first Angel attack. He remembered that the top of her head had barely reached his chest. Now the top of her head just reached his nose. He picked a stone and made it skip several times across the lake's surface before surrendering to its depths.

The girl looked up at her big brother. Toji looked down at her, wondering what happened to the carefree little sister he knew. This girl before him had sadness and confusion in her eyes. He had often seen that expression on Shinji and that made Toji worry for his little sister. A memory (or was it a dream?) came to mind. She had finally begun to pay the price for the power to change the world. The price was her innocence.

"Toji-- Why do people kill each other?" Yuri said with sadness. "Why did people want to kill us? Aren't we the ones protecting them from the Angels?"

Toji shivered. "But we are also the ones who knock them down." He was lucky enough not to be one of the first few sent against their fellow human beings, and so far his hands were free of human blood. Asuka had the doubtful honor of being the very first pilot to shed human blood willingly. Hikari, Kensuke and several of their classmates had been chosen during the first wave of the Conscription and had fought in several battles of the War of Unification.

Yuri's lips trembled and she looked down at the ground at her feet. "If people are so bad why don't we just let the Angels do their jobs and finish us off?!"

Toji paused. He could think of several reasons why not. One of his reasons just left him to visit her family, to tell them about the decision they made. But he must make Yuri see her own reason.

"Them people that are gonna die, do they include me and Dad?"

Yuri jerked her head up. Her brother looked at her with tired old eyes that reminded her of her Grandfather.

"There are people who love you and people whom you love. If we fail in what we do, we lose them. We're soldiers, you should know that. Before you joined NERV you told me you wanted to protect people, because you didn't want any other kids to lose their grandfathers." Toji laid his right hand on his sister's head. "The only thing we can do is live and do our jobs. Let the other people worry about what's wrong with the world. That's not our job. Even though it hurts, it's the painful truth. What we're doing is making sure that the world is still there to be set right."

"Big brother..." Yuri slumped her head on Toji's chest. Toji smiled gently and sighed as he pulled her into a hug.

"Jeez, this was easier than I thought," Misato said as she leaned back on a tree and scratched the back of her head with one hand. Yuri's sobs could be heard throughout the forested park behind her.

000

"No change, huh?" Ritsuko said as she entered Shinji's room in Misato's apartment. Shinji lay on the bed, bandages wrapped around his head, his broken ribs, and around his forearms. He was still unconscious and since the secure hospital in Tokyo-3 was closed and the base infirmary was filled, it was decided that he stay at home.

Rei sat by Shinji's bedside reading a book.

"Asuka should be the one sitting here," Rei softly said, as if pained by the words she said.

"What about you?"

"I love him. But not in that way." Again the soft words, but there was no pain, just a sense of release.

"She flew to Brazil this morning, right after we cleaned up."

"She didn't say goodbye."

"Something happened between her and Shinji," Ritsuko came over and stood beside Rei. "Do you know anything about it?"

Rei shook her head slowly.

"Well, if anything good came out of this, at least you're walking again." Ritsuko walked over to the girl. She ran her hand through Rei's hair. "Rest. You're tired."

Rei looked up at the doctor. The girl noticed the discoloration on the doctor's left cheek.

Ritsuko couldn't meet Rei's eyes. "I looked up the MAGI's logs. A low-level blue pattern was detected. Everybody was too busy to notice it, so I deleted the records."

Rei nodded and stood up but her legs gave way under her. Ritsuko deftly caught her.

"T-thank you, Dr. Akagi," Rei was able to whisper before she blacked out.

000

Asuka stood on a cliff and the collar of her jacket brushed gently against her cheeks and her skirt flapped against her thighs in the wind stirred up by the aircraft that passed overhead. The Brazilian jungle stretched before her eyes off into the darkness where the lights of the temporary camp could not reach. Asuka tried not to think, but found her thoughts wandering back to the boy she left in Japan.

"Shinji..." she whispered to the darkness as tears threatened to come to her eyes.

"Well, keep standing with the lights at your back and you won't see him again."

Asuka spun around, her gun's muzzle suddenly pressed against Kensuke's combat helmet. Her eyes are narrowed. "Don't sneak up on me again."

Kensuke grinned as he pushed up his glasses with his fore and middle fingers. Kensuke wore combat fatigues, body armor, and had a rifle slung over his back. "Yes, Chief."

Asuka tapped her gun against Kensuke's helmet, pushing the boy back. "I said leave me alone."

"Well, I thought it would interest the Chief Pilot to know that she's making a target of herself with her uniform and by staying in front of the lights. I mean this angst of yours is going to get you killed. The least you can do is change to fatigues and wear body armor."

"Leave me alone." Asuka holstered her pistol and returned to her vigil. "And body armor won't stop a sniper."

A few moments of silence.

"You still here?"

"Yes, Chief."

000

Shinji stood in front of Unit 01, his hands held his shirt together as it hung like a cloak over his naked shoulders. He looked at the monstrosity with dead eyes. In his mind's eye, the events of the past day returned to him.

The battle against the Twenty-First Angel. Going to the hospital.

His confession to Asuka. Her violent and unforgiving reaction.

Then his latest act of murder... He had killed that doctor with his bare hands. He had felt a sense of release as he bludgeoned that person with his fists, clawed with his nails, crushed with his hands. He had mauled that man as a dog would a rag doll.

Shinji's eyes focused on the EVA. It had corrupted him, made him into a monster! That was the only explanation! He wasn't really a murderer! It was the EVA's fault!

Was that the reason he had been able to take advantage of the girl he... Shinji gripped his shirt tighter.

"She ran away?" Commander Santiago stepped away from the shadows.

Shinji's hands clenched even tighter as they held the collar of his shirt closed. He felt fear stir within his heart as he looked at the shadow shrouded man.

"From where I came from, when one runs away, the other must give chase."

Shinji looked mutely at his smirking Commander.

000

Col. Makoto Hyuga stood in his flight-suit in front of an EVA flying wing transport that was in the immense hangar. In his arms he held his child. He watched with a small smile on his face as Rit-chan played with his finger and made sounds that baby make. The baby cooed at him, her bright, shining black eyes watched him curiously.

"Makoto."

He turned his head at his wife's voice. "Oh, it's you." Maya was scared at the coldness in his voice. She felt small and vulnerable in the middle of the cavernous hangar.

"Makoto, is anything wrong?"

Makoto simply continued playing with his daughter.

"Makoto..."

He looked up as a siren sounded and the hangar doors began to open. "Dr. Ibuki..."

Later, Maya held her baby as the gigantic aircraft began to taxi out. Tears slid down her cheek.

000

It was almost midnight and the Children were suiting up. Thin curtains separated the lockers. Kensuke finished as he always did, a full minute before everybody else. He sat on the bench and waited for the person on the other side to finish so he could go out since his locker was last in line and was against the wall.

He watched in fascination as the silhouette on the curtain pulled up the plugsuit and pulled its long hair out of the way. It pressed the button on the left wrist and the plugsuit conformed to the perfect feminine body. Kensuke grinned to himself and shook the thoughts away from his mind. The mission should be the only thing on his mind.

"Hey, Asuka," Kensuke said to the silhouette.

"What?" Behind the curtain Asuka was folding up the clothes she had discarded.

"He likes you, you know."

For a moment Asuka froze. But she continued folding her clothes. They both knew whom Kensuke was referring to. "In a perverted sense."

They were talking in Japanese and were not overly concerned about eavesdroppers.

"He can't help it." Kensuke grinned to himself, he could almost feel Asuka blushing.

"He also likes Rei... and Misato and probably even Ritsuko! The pervert."

"Yeah. But he likes you best. And not in a perverted sense."

"What do you mean?" Asuka tensed, like an animal sensing an unseen trap.

"Gee, I saw the guy's eyes when you hugged him at the waiting room the night the rookie died." Asuka held her breath as Kensuke spoke. "His eyes lighted up as if everything was all right and could go to Hell for all he cared."

"... Shut up."

"He's close to Rei because she's someone he feels something special. What it is, I have no idea. Probably love but not as strong as he feels for you or maybe a different kind. Misato's the typical older girl that he could never have, except as a mother, older sister or teacher. Ritsuko? Well, I don't really know what's going on but I don't think there's anything to be worried about."

"And me?" Asuka almost choked on that question.

"You? Why don't you ask him?"

"Because he's a wimp and never tell me anything?"

"Really? Ever tried it?"

A moment of silence. Asuka remembered the conversation she had with Shinji after the incident in the bathroom. She also remembered his confession. Maybe, just maybe...

000

**Combined Operations Command  
NERV-1**

There were a lot of people in control theater, most of them were not supposed to be there, but they were all anxious to see the battle. Though only a small part of their resources was devoted to monitoring the battle, it was displayed on the main monitor by order of the base commander. Santiago believed that if he didn't do it this way, the technicians would be using up their equipment to monitor the battle secretly, thus lessening the total resources devoted to watching out for Angels.

"Preliminary bombardment has begun. NERV-9's defenses are returning fire." Lt. Corrie Hayes reported. "N2 weapon to be deployed in ten minutes to be followed by second bombardment. EVA teams would then charge from their positions under the bombardment cover. "

Everyone turned towards the bridge as a baby began to cry.

"I- I'm sorry, I can't get her to stop," Maya apologized. She was a mess, her hair was tangled and her face was tear stained. Ritsuko and Misato moved to help her. Allen, Toji, and Rei watched in curiosity, all wondered if the two women even knew how to hold a baby. They didn't find out as a commanding voice stopped both women.

"Give her to me."

They all looked up in interest at the command desk. Santiago stood up and walked over to the young mother. Apprehension was painted all over Maya's face. They all held their breath as the Commander took the crying baby from the mother. He slowly rocked the little girl in his arms and whispered soothingly in the baby's ears. In a minute, the child was asleep and everyone released their breaths.

"Babies don't like it if the person carrying them is distressed," Santiago said as he continued to cradle the sleeping baby. Maya, Misato, Ritsuko, Corrie, Antoinette, Miyuki, Allen, Toji, and Rei were close enough to see the wistful look in their Commander's eyes. There was no mistaking the reminiscent tone of his voice.

"Um, Sir, I didn't know you knew how to take care of babies," Antoinette voiced the question in everybody's mind.

"I had three younger sisters," Santiago replied as he bent his head and gently kissed the top of Rit-chan's head. Those on the bridge could have sworn that they briefly saw tears in the Commander's eyes.

"Where are they now?" Allen asked in a shaky voice. For some reason, he felt a tug in his heart as he looked at the large man cradling the small baby.

The Commander froze, and the cold, emotionless mask came back on. He gently handed the baby back to Maya. "Take her somewhere quiet, this place will be very noisy in a few more minutes." He completely ignored Allen's question.

Allen felt hurt. He asked an innocent question and didn't deserve the cold shoulder. In another time, he would have felt disgusted with himself for being hurt by such a simple thing. But that was another time, when he was still under the delusion that he had grown up. Unconsciously, he looked at Misato.

_'Shit!'_ Misato thought as Allen looked at her with puppy eyes. She knew at an instinctive level that she should comfort the child but also that she couldn't comfort him here, where she could be accused of coddling the child or of being too soft and unfit for command. Needless to say, Misato was in a dilemma.

She was about to move to the boy's side when a voice stopped her.

"Pilot Alleyn, come with me." Rei remarked as she took the boy by the hand and led him out of the theater. Misato simply thanked God (even if He wasn't listening) for Rei's budding maternal instinct.

000

"Kensuke?" Asuka and Kensuke stood inside a bunker while the technicians finished arming their EVAs. All the pilots were wearing light bullet-proof vests over their plugsuits and the second and first class pilots had weapons ready.

"Hmm?" Kensuke looked up from where he was checking his weapons - not with the drooling interest of a military fan-boy but with the detached professionalism of a trained soldier.

"Thank you," Asuka whispered from beside him.

"Wha-? Hmph, well this is a first, thanks from Lady Asuka. That means I'm going to die." Kensuke laughed lightly.

"Don't joke about that," Asuka replied seriously as she continued watching the EVAs.

"Just nervous," Kensuke slung the weapon on his back. "Besides, if they're even half as strong as the ones you fought, I'll most probably die today. I don't have your skill or Shinji's raw power. I'm not even lucky."

"Just follow me, I'll get us through this!" Asuka grinned at the boy in her usual self-confident manner.

000

"ETA in seventeen minutes," Makoto announced from the cockpit as the dark coastline came to view. He started pouring power into the large engines of the flying wing.

"Yes. Thank you, Colonel." Shinji pressed the button on his left wrist and there was a hiss as the plugsuit conformed to his body. He gritted his teeth as his suit pressed on his broken ribs. Shinji then made his way towards the entry plug. His head was still bandaged and he paused to touch them. With a determined look in his eyes, he went into the EVA.

000

"Kensuke, are you all right?" Asuka opened up a frequency to her teammate.

"A little scared though," Kensuke answered truthfully. Asuka's image on the mini-screen was calm and confident. He wished he had her guts. Years earlier he'd hacked into the files and found the lowdown on the Dummy Plug EVAs since he knew they were what he saw flying into the sky during the Eighteenth Incident. He had nightmares for several weeks afterwards.

"You'll forget that fear once we're in."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You'll be too busy staying alive."

Kensuke gave a lopsided grin. Their EVAs were on a ridge over the base and each EVA was about a kilometer apart. Their battery counters were already at the twelve minute mark. All EVAs were armed with positron cannons and lances.

"All right, listen up! Keep close to me, follow my commands, and keep your heads low! And maybe, just maybe, you'll live through this!" Asuka sent to all her team members. She had no illusions that they would. She and Kensuke were the only ones getting out alive.

"Damnit! Would they call us in already," a boy on Asuka's team whined on the open link. Beneath them, the base erupted into explosions as bombers and missile launching tanks strafed it. Earlier, the white light of an N2 explosion lit the night like day, covering the movement of the EVAs from the forward camps towards their attack positions.

"Eager to die aren't you," another pilot retorted.

"Ah, screw you," the boy replied.

"We've got red light!" A pilot yelled. Simultaneously a red light signaling ready went on in every EVA.

"GREEN, GO!" Asuka yelled as the light changed to green. From around the base, positron shells arced into the base. All the EVAs had to sludge through water logged trees before they could reach the target. Brazil and most of the South American continent had been swamped by tidal waves during Second Impact and most of the continent was submerged under twenty meters of water. Asuka was suddenly reminded of an old movie about the Second World War where these soldiers had to charge this beach where the enemy had dug in. If she remembered correctly, most of the attacking soldiers died before reaching the beach.

000

"Bandits are coming on line," Corrie shouted when his equipment read the huge power output of the dummy plug equipped EVAs. On the screen, seven red blips were surrounded by thirty-one blue blips arranged in a slowly shrinking ring. They all watched as two blue blips labeled EVA 02 and EVA 15 broke away from the ring and charged into the red circle denoting the perimeter defense of the Ninth Branch.

000

Children screamed as they died. Kensuke trailed behind Asuka as they went to destroy the EVA assigned to their team. The target had already killed two of their teammates, the other one had his EVA heavily damaged. The boy was alive but the feedback had damaged his brain. They could hear the panicked screams of Children from the other teams.

"There!" Kensuke cried out as he fired at the silver EVA. Asuka followed suit as the target back-flipped away with exploding positron shells masking its retreat.

Asuka felt nervous. The target's movements were familiar to her. But she didn't have time to think as she charged after the target into a valley made up of ruined buildings.

"Kensuke! Go up and cover me from the rooftops!" Asuka cried out as she paused in the middle of the valley. Kensuke's EVA leapt into the air and landed on the ruins of an armored building twice the height of his EVA.

Asuka looked around at the battlefield. If she had been piloting the target, this was a good place for an ambush. Lead the enemy into the valley and then charge heroically with cannon blazing from the other end. Simple, effective, and very flashy, it would surely awe Shi-- anyone she wanted to impress.

Asuka shook her head clear of unnecessary thoughts. She saw the glow of the target's eyes and she narrowed her own. It was suddenly clear why the target's movements were familiar.

Asuka roared a battle cry as she and the enemy charged each other, their cannons spitting anti-matter.

000

Juno sat cross legged on the floor of her room. Half a world away, Children like her were dying. She turned her head and looked at Yuri who was lying face down on a futon. The younger girl had knocked on their door and had asked if she could sleep over since her brother and father were working at the base for the night.

Allen, Rei and Toji were on standby. Yuri had been relieved of standby duty because Misato had thought that the child would benefit from a few days off the job.

Juno took her gun from her backpack and stared at it. She slowly stroked the cold metal.

The British girl sighed as she remembered that she had taken a human life. She closed her eyes and placed the cold barrel against her temple. She cocked the gun's hammer with her thumb. Juno took a deep breath and held it.

She pulled the trigger.

"Bang." Juno said as the hammer struck the empty chamber. Silence. Her shoulders began to shudder. Her laughter slowly became louder until they echoed throughout the small room.

"This sucks." Yuri whispered to herself.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Rei: An observer from the shadows, unnoticed in the turmoil of fate and destiny. By his own, seemingly unimportant. But his story is a part of the whole, a thread that runs across the tapestry truths and lies. Heaven and Hell 1:4 - Weaving a Story: A Flash of Life.


	14. Weaving a Story: A Flash of Life

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:4 - Weaving a Story: A Flash of Life

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:4 - Weaving a Story: A Flash of Life**

**NERV-9  
THE SECOND BEFORE**

The Battle for NERV-9 raged. The blood of naïve Children and of those blinded by faith mixed upon the tortured earth. Overhead, the sky was tinged blood red by the infernal holocaust in the shattered fortress city.

Within the heart of the former stronghold, two demons fought for supremacy and survival.

From above, a grey and black EVA swooped down from its perch atop the ruined shell of a skyscraper.

Below, a silver, one-armed EVA waited with a gigantic knife in its hand, its body covered in blood from the tremendous wound that took its right arm.

Kensuke's Unit 15 reached for the folded lance stored on the rack on its back.

The enemy EVA braced its legs and readied the knife to a stabbing position.

It was less than a second.

000

In the middle of almost total darkness, Kensuke sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform.

He sighed and allowed his shoulders to sag. His glasses slid down his nose and he pushed them up with his index and middle fingers.

"It didn't begin there," he said to the darkness.

000

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE**

**2015AD**

It was Spring. I was in the Eight grade, Middle High School. I've known about the EVA Project for about several months by the time I met the Third Children.

**THE THIRD CHILDREN: SHINJI IKARI**

Shinji Ikari. He wasn't much to look at. Looked like a wimp if you ask me. I should know. I mean, before he came I was the most pathetic boy in the grade and if I weren't friends with Toji, the other boys would have probably bullied me.

Anyway, it was about a week since the first attack. What was called the Third Incident for reasons that I only knew about months later. As most people knew, Shinji and Toji didn't hit it off right off the bat. And I thought he was a sissy for letting Toji hit him. Twice. I mean he was a pilot of a kick-ass robot, he should be able to stand his ground in any fight. That ruined my image of a top secret mecha pilot.

Needless to say, I was really glad that Shinji's a great guy. He could've left us to die the time he fought the Fifth Angel and save his own skin. He saved us and we became his friends. Not because we felt that we owed him or anything, no... during the time in the entry plug, when we saw and felt Shinji fight... it was like we found someone similar to us.

**SIMILAR**

What? We are similar. We all don't have mothers. We have absentee fathers. And at that moment, we all felt the fear and the loneliness. I guess that's what scared Toji about that battle, because we all shared our thoughts.

I don't think I could really put what I feel into words. No wait- I guess I can honestly say, that these two guys were like my brothers.

I guess I bonded with him when he ran away and I met him at my camp out. Looking back, I'm seriously embarrassed about my behavior. Damn, I was a geek. Good thing that they didn't send Shinji away for real. Not only would I have lost a good friend, I don't think the human race would have survived.

**THE FIRST CHILDREN: REI AYANAMI**

She used to scare me. God, have you looked into her eyes? She has this way of looking at you as if she was judging your Soul. You can't help but feel that in some way, you've failed to make the cut. I really didn't know much about her, I even tried looking into her records but it had more holes than a sieve. I would have ordinarily been curious but for some reason I didn't want to know. All I know was that Shinji felt she was important to him, Heck, we even teased him about it. But I knew that what they felt for each other wasn't what Hikari felt for Toji... Yes, I knew all about that even before the jock knew about it. I may have looked like a military otaku but that doesn't mean that I didn't notice everything that happened around me.

I was sort of scared for Rei because she's someone important to Shinji. She seemed to have no care for anything unrelated to EVA. It was as if her only purpose in life was EVA. And like Asuka, I also thought that if ordered to, she would have killed herself. Thank God that she's still alive.

**THE FOURTH CHILDREN: HIKARI HORAKI**

Hikari. The class rep's a great girl, she reminds me of my Mom. If I had a sister I wish she would be like Hikari. Sure she acts tough and bossy but we knew she really cared about every student under her, not just because it was her responsibility but because she also misses her mother. By treating us as her mother treated Hikari and her sisters, Hikari was keeping her mother's memory alive.

**THE SECOND CHILDREN: ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU**

Asuka. Now she's a hard one to figure out. Heck, I actually had a crush on her the first time I saw her. Of course, that crush lasted until she slapped Toji, Shinji, and me. God, what a bitch! She must have been retarded to wear a billowing skirt on an aircraft carrier!

I couldn't help but laugh at all the boys that had a crush on her during high school. I meant they weren't able to see past the face she put on, the one she puts on to attract attention and praise.

But I guess that was also where Toji and I made our mistake. We didn't see past the face she didn't know she had put on. I guess the only one who saw through Asuka is Shinji, but he was too timid and overwhelmed to reach out to her.

**COLONEL MISATO KATSURAGI**

Misato. A great woman. Toji and I were really infatuated with her for a time. She's tough, beautiful, and smart. We really envied Shinji because he could always be with her. But then, deep down we were also scared of her. We knew that what she shows us is just the mask she shows people. Where we were too angry and annoyed at Asuka to care enough to look behind the faces she put on, I was afraid to look deeper at Misato, I was afraid of the face behind the mask.

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE**

2015. The First Wave. Fourteen Angels descended to attack Tokyo-3. At least to public knowledge. Only a handful of people know about the other four Angels. The public knew of the giant robots that fought against them. And throughout the war, the fate of the human race rested on the shoulders of three teenagers and the few select people chosen to support them.

2015. I still find it hard to talk about that year. Of course there were also good times, but more often than not there were a lot of bad times. The rationing, the evacuation drills, sleeping in fear that you'll never wake up because of a night attack. It was a crazy time to live in. I was really crazy to want to become a pilot. I mean the only reason I wanted to be a pilot was so that I could handle military hardware and be closer to my Dad.

And then it happened. I couldn't believe Toji was picked instead of me. I was really jealous of him when I figured it out.

I couldn't believe how stupid I was.

How immature.

I forgot that war wasn't a game.

Toji almost died because of something I dreamed of having.

000

**NERV-9  
FIVE MINUTES BEFORE**

"Kensuke, are you all right?" Asuka opened up a frequency to her teammate.

"A little scared though," Kensuke answered truthfully. Asuka's image on the mini-screen was calm and confident. _'Damnit!__ How can she be so calm?! She's faced them before!'_

"You'll forget that fear once we're in." Asuka replied smugly.

"Really?" Kensuke could have sworn he heard his voice break.

"Yeah. You'll be too busy staying alive."

Kensuke gave a lopsided grin. _'Same old Asuka...'_

Their EVAs were on a ridge over the base and each EVA was about a kilometer apart. Their battery counters were already at the twelve minute mark. All EVAs were armed with positron cannons and lances.

Below them was the blazing inferno that used to be man's attempt to bring back order to the devastated continent of South America. NERV-9, the fortified capital of the United Nations Administrative Region of South America, was no more. All that was left to do was to clear out the pockets of resistance.

Kensuke couldn't help but shudder at the massacre, at the thought that the fortress city used to be home to close to a million people. In order to save the city, they had to destroy it.

"All right, listen up! Keep close to me, follow my commands, and keep your heads low! And maybe, just maybe, you'll live through this!" Asuka sent to all her team members. She had no illusions that they would. She and Kensuke were the only ones getting out alive.

"Damnit! Would they call us in already," a boy on Asuka's team whined on the open link. Beneath them, the base erupted once more in a shower of explosions as bombers and missile launching tanks strafed it. Earlier, the white light of an N2 explosion lighted the night like day, covering the movement of the EVAs from the forward camps towards their attack positions.

"Eager to die aren't you," another pilot retorted.

Kensuke was also thinking along the same lines. That boy must really be stupid.

"Ah, screw you," the boy replied.

"We've got red light!" A pilot yelled. Simultaneously a red light signaling ready went on in every EVA.

"GREEN, GO!" Asuka yelled as the light changed to green.

Kensuke felt the butterflies in his stomach. He pulled the trigger on his control stick as he sent his EVA over the ridge and into Hell.

000

In the middle of almost total darkness, Kensuke sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform.

"Hell. Every time I went there it was never the same."

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE  
2016AD**

It was Spring. The Eighteenth Incident. Dad sent me to Tokyo-2, he had a safe house there. He said things were going to be a bit hectic and he didn't want to worry about me. Damn it. He was my Dad, I knew him, the way he said it, he had no illusion that we would be seeing each other again.

There wasn't much left of the city but a large crater after Unit 00 exploded. But there was a lot of rubble to hide in so I was able to sneak back into Tokyo-3. I hacked into one of the more secret entryways and got in just as the first attack came in. Being at ground zero was much more scarier than I thought.

My Dad's office was in the geofront, Level 17, Area 27. NERV Public Security and Intelligence Bureau. The dreaded Section Two. I don't think he knew I knew exactly where he worked. He always told me he was with the Audit section. Right. I guess my Dad didn't know me as well as he should.

It wasn't easy but I got there without being seen or shot at. I guess being a military fan-boy finally paid off for me.

When I arrived at the office, there was blood everywhere, agents were lying all around, their weapons still smoking. They had all fought against one another even before the UN Special Forces got to them.

A lot of people thought Commander Santiago joined NERV after the Eighteenth Incident. They were wrong. He used to be Section Two Director. He knelt by my wounded father when I got there. He told me to get Dad out of there, he gave me Dad's gun and then he ran off somewhere.

Dad said something about Santiago being a good man, but I didn't see it. He left his friend to die while he saved his skin.

Me and Dad didn't meet anyone on the way back up. Dad kept saying it was just a flesh wound, but I could hear the rattle every time he exhaled. He had blood in his lungs. I knew he was going to die if I didn't get him to a hospital.

I thought I was lucky that no one had seen us.

My luck ran out when we reached the surface. Asuka's Unit 02 smashed a hoverjet which crashed several meters away from me. The explosion tore a gash in my arm and knocked me unconscious. When I came to, my Dad told me his last words as I saw ten rings of light fly into the sky. I blacked out after that.

000

**NERV-9  
THREE MINUTES BEFORE**

Children screamed as they died. Kensuke trailed after Asuka as they went to destroy the EVA assigned to their team. The target had already killed two of their teammates, the other one had his EVA heavily damaged. The boy was alive but the feedback had damaged his brain. They could hear the panicked screams of Children from the other teams.

"There!" Kensuke cried out as he fired at the silver EVA. Asuka followed suit as the target back-flipped away with the exploding positron shells masking its retreat.

Kensuke watched in fascination as the enemy's movement seemed familiar. There was no time to think as he followed Asuka into a valley made up of ruined buildings. NERV-9 was a fortress city, and now the enemy was using its defensive layout to full use.

"Kensuke! Go up and cover me from the rooftops!" Asuka cried out as she paused in the middle of the valley of ruins. Kensuke's EVA leapt into the air and landed on the ruins of an armored building twice the height of his EVA.

He went into a defensive posture as he watched Asuka's Unit 02 carefully enter the kill zone.

And then it all became clear.

000

In the middle of almost total darkness, Kensuke sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform.

"I'd rather not speak of the War. A lot of bad things happened. A lot of good people got killed. And I killed a lot of them... let's leave it at that."

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE  
2018AD**

It was Spring. The season of rebirth.

**THE CHILDREN OF EVA**

**THE SECOND CHILDREN: ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU**

Asuka had recovered fully from the First Wave and became our Chief Pilot during the Winter of 2017. She's still a raging demon on duty and I've heard a lot of people call her names behind her back. Same old, same old. She's fine except for a bit of obsession with anything Shinji. I knew they had a love-hate relationship but I was really against her when Shinji came to school with bruises. Of course that was after the Fifteenth Incident, so I guess I could forgive her. I remember when she once came to my apartment drunk and asked if I had any video disks with Shinji in them. When I told her they were all destroyed during the War she just broke down right there. She really missed him. Of course in the morning she couldn't remember that she cried in front of me and I'm not stupid enough to contradict her.

**THE FIRST CHILDREN: REI AYANAMI**

Rei no longer scares me. She's like a sister or a cousin to me. She seems a bit more curious and... happy. It's as if for the past few years she finally accepted the fact that there was life outside of EVA and that she was drinking it up like a dry sponge. I'm thankful that they didn't send her into any of the battles during the War. Killing people would have ruined her.

**FOURTH CHILDREN: HIKARI HORAKI**

Hikari. Poor Hikari. I don't think anyone really believed her when she said that she'll join if NERV didn't draft her sisters. But of course she gave the precedent that only one pilot will be taken from each family. I don't think she actually regrets signing up, but I think she would have been a lot more happier. Gone is the old Hikari, the happy girl whose only problem was whether the class was listening or not. It was as if she wasn't so innocent and carefree anymore. At least she has Toji.

**FOURTH CHILDREN: TOJI SUZUHARA**

Toji. Good old Toji. He sprang back to his old macho self because of Hikari and Yuri. He trained hard so that his new limbs won't slow him down, heck it's as if he wasn't disabled. The prosthetic limbs are actually great and unless you knew what they were you'd think they were the real deal. But I guess the real reason that one wouldn't know about them is because Toji doesn't mind them. He said to me that if he's bothered about them then Hikari would worry, and he hates having her worried.

**SEVENTH CHILDREN: YURIKO SUZUHARA**

Yuriko is Toji's kid sister. The youngest of the rookies and yet the best amongst the lot. She has a drive within her that reminds me of Asuka, the kid's determined to be the very best. It's really scary actually.

**SIXTH CHILDREN: JUNO HURST**

Juno is a British pilot. The kid is smart but has a dirty mouth. Heard she was raised in a very strict household. Is that all those years of repression getting out?

**FIFTH CHILDREN: HENRI MONTBLANC**

Henri was a good kid. Meaning to say I don't really know that much about him. Seems too happy, never seen the kid frown. Is he on drugs or something? Probably raised on Barney and Teletubbies. Weird fact, he's the only Children I know with a mother. I kind of envy him.

**SIXTH CHILDREN: ALLEN ALLEYN**

Allen. Now, there's a kid I would have probably envied when I was still in my military otaku mode. The kid is a real Army brat. His mom was the Commander of the Beijing Branch and he grew up with real guns and military hardware for toys. Anyway, something's screwed up wrong with him. Sometimes I would see him look at us older pilots as if he was sizing us up. It's as if he wants to know if he could take us in a fight. Fat chance though. He's the worst pilot I know. But outside an EVA...

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE**

During the Spring of 2018, NERV is the foremost and most important part of the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces. It had thirteen branches scattered throughout the world. Each branch reported directly to the UN General Committee for Security. There were one hundred and four Evangelions in active service. Enough money was spent on them that could have been used to better the lives of everyone on all six continents.

**WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE**

And I was about to kill myself when the Second Wave came.

000

**NERV-9  
TEN SECONDS BEFORE**

"ASUKA!!" Kensuke cried out as he saw the ball of light rush towards the red Unit 02.

"CHEAT!!" Asuka screamed in pain and fury as she felt her EVA's left side disintegrate. It was a trap! Another enemy EVA had been waiting for them from one of the rooftops while the other EVA distracted them with a frontal assault. Asuka felt bitter - the enemy had taken the very same tactic she had just used. She screamed as she fired her cannon while her EVA fell down amongst the rubble. One of Asuka's shots hit the charging enemy EVA on the right shoulder and spun it backwards and away from her. Asuka fell unconscious.

It was all up to Kensuke.

000

In the middle of almost total darkness, Kensuke sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform.

"In the Spring of 2018, the Angels returned."

Kensuke looked up, the light reflected off his glasses.

"But that's another story..."

Kensuke smiled.

000

**Combined Operations Command  
NERV-1**

"ASUKA!!" Misato cried out as Asuka's EVA took a hit.

"Unidentified aircraft over combat zone!" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix reported. Everyone looked at the blip on the main monitor's overlay map.

"It's an EVA transport!" Lt. Hayes replied after a quick scan. "It's being warned off by UN fighters!"

"Incoming transmission from the EVA transport!" Lt. Antoinette cried out, the communications officer was surprised at why the unauthorized aircraft contacted them.

Over the NERV communications frequency came the familiar voice with the unexpected words from across the ocean: "Prepare to sortie Unit 01."

The whole theater fell silent at hearing the voice of their vice-commander. In confusion the technicians looked at their Commander for guidance.

"Prepare for combat control and monitor routines for Unit 01," Santiago calmly ordered from behind his ice cold mask.

000

In the middle of almost total darkness, Kensuke sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform.

The sound of a door opening in the darkness. A rectangular patch of light was carved from the inky blackness. A feminine silhouette within the new pocket of light.

"Kensuke," a female voice casually called out.

Kensuke turned in his chair and smiled at the woman.

"Mother."

000

**NOW**

Kensuke felt a wave of rage overcome him. His EVA's eyes flashed white and the sealed armored jaw of its head sprouted cracks. His EVA brought up its cannon and shredded the cover the enemy was using. The sniper EVA jumped away from its hiding place and was destroyed in mid flight as a warning beep told Kensuke his cannon was empty.

Kensuke gave a whoop of joy which was cut short when he noticed that Asuka's attacker had drawn out its progressive knife to finish off Asuka.

Kensuke cried out a battlecry as he made his EVA leap from the top of the building right at the enemy EVA.

The enemy's right side was damaged, its right arm sheared off at the shoulder, yet as long as it still carried its progressive knife in its left hand, the damaged enemy was still dangerous.

Kensuke's Unit 15 reached for the folded lance stored on a rack on its back.

The enemy EVA braced its legs and readied the knife to a stabbing position.

Red blood splattered on the burned walls of the ruins. Something roared its rage into the burning sky.

000

In the middle of a total darkness, in a circle of light cast by an overhead light, a folding chair stood.

From the darkness, the sound of a door closing.

With a snap, the light was extinguished.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Misato: The tide of destiny has turned. And the UN reels from defeat. Death stalks the Children in this time of darkness. Man is again fighting himself. Heaven and Hell 1:5 - If I Can't be Yours.


	15. If I Can't be Yours

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:5 - If I Can't be Yours

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:5 - If I Can't be Yours**

_"ASUKA!!"__ Kensuke cried out as he saw the ball of light rush towards the red Unit 02._

_"CHEAT!!" Asuka screamed in pain and fury as she felt her EVA's left side disintegrate. It was a trap! Another enemy EVA had been waiting for them from one of the rooftops while the other EVA distracted them with a frontal assault. Asuka felt bitter - the enemy had taken the very same tactic she had just used. She screamed as she fired her cannon while her EVA fell down amongst the rubble. One of Asuka's shots hit the charging enemy EVA on the right shoulder and spun it backwards and away from her. Asuka fell unconscious._

_Kensuke felt a wave of rage overcome him. His EVA's eyes flashed white and the sealed armored jaw of its head sprouted cracks. His EVA brought up its cannon and shredded the cover the enemy was using. The sniper EVA jumped away from its hiding place and was destroyed in mid flight as a warning beep told Kensuke his cannon was empty._

_Kensuke gave a whoop of joy which was cut short when he noticed that Asuka's attacker had drawn out its progressive knife to finish off Asuka. Without thinking, Kensuke made his EVA jump off the roof of the building he was on, his Unit 15 drew its folded lance from the rack on its back._

_Red blood splattered on the burned walls of the ruins. Something roared its rage into the burning sky._

Asuka screamed as she sat up on the bed, fleeing from a nightmare where Unit 01 had gone berserk, ripping other EVAs apart with its bare hands. She felt pain pounding from the left side of her body and she grasped her arm, relief washed over her at the knowledge that her body was still complete.

"Asuka!" Hikari was immediately by her friend's side. With a cry of joy, Hikari went to the door and shouted for a doctor.

"Where?" Asuka groggily looked around as a doctor came to check up on her.

"Tokyo-3. You've been unconscious for four days." Hikari supplied with tears in her eyes as she hugged her bestfriend.

"What happened." She looked in incomprehension around her, the last thing she remembered was feeling the positron shell rip her EVA apart.

"Your EVA got hit pretty bad but Kensuke saved you. They thought you would die, but you pulled through--" Hikari couldn't help shedding tears as she tightened her arms around her friend.

Asuka laughed in relief. "Where's Kensuke? I've got to thank him."

Hikari looked away from Asuka's questioning eyes.

000

They were all there.

The eleven had been gathered, those that remained from the original thirteen. They all stood stiff attention in their black uniforms in the white room. They were the commanders of the surviving eleven branches. Eleven since two of their number had fallen. They are the darkness.

Secretary-General Reinholt and the twelve generals of the General Committee for Security sat behind the white table which separated them from the dark guardians. They are the light.

They waited.

A man with long hair, wearing dark glasses, and a black suit entered the room. Everyone recognized him. He was Section Two. The personification of the shadow within the darkness within the light.

Reinholt nodded to him and the man began his report.

"The enemy is calling itself the 'Sword of God'. They are composed of the remains of the sects and cults that opposed NERV's funding and operation during the First Wave or tried to send assassins and saboteurs against NERV personnel and assets. These groups were disbanded legally or covertly eliminated by NERV Section Two in the fifteen year period before the War of Unification."

Reiholt looked up from the report he was reading. "And this time around they succeeded in their goals to thwart NERV and the UN. To the point of acquiring seven EVAs which we later destroyed; uncovering and subverting the dummy plug failsafe; destroying twenty EVAs and heavily damaging eleven more. They killed thirty four pilots and rendered seven pilots brain-damaged; kidnapped nine candidates of which two were raped and later killed, the remainder of which were killed during the battle. We have over six hundred thousand dead; from the losses in the battle for the Ninth Branch and when they detonated two N2 mines in the Tenth Branch. We also have five N2 mines unaccounted for." Reinholt sighed and looked at the report in his hands. "Tell me, Section Two, why were we unable to stop them? This would have never happened under Ikari."

All eyes turned to the Director of Section Two. Santiago looked at the man with interest since he had personally selected the unassuming-looking man as his replacement.

"That is exactly the reason they succeeded, sir." The Section Two Director stated in his calm, collected voice. His black eyes cold and indifferent as they gazed out from a thin face framed by long straight black hair. Everyone, except Santiago, was taken aback by the curt answer. "Section Two's budget and allowed strength were reduced by more than half since 2016. Ikari never made the mistake of cutting our budget in exchange for the moral high-ground. We were given orders by this very same committee to focus our limited resources on finding the assassins that killed the four pilots from Berlin, Paris, Beijing, and Melbourne. It is already in the record that Section Two suggested that the assassinations were distractions and that all NERV branches should immediately go on alert. It is also on record that Section Two's recommendation was ignored because the committee does not wish the public to know that another rebell--"

"ENOUGH!!" All eyes turned to the general on Reinholt's right. "That is enough, Director! We did not ask you to criticize us!"

Santiago smirked slightly as he watched the long haired Director calmly stare down the hot-headed general. It seemed as if he hadn't made a mistake in selecting his replacement. Not once did the younger man flinch or raise his voice.

"There is no need to blame others." Everyone listened as the Secretary General began to speak. "The enemy used our desire for civilized conduct against us. They knew that we would not resort to their depraved methods. They knew that we are not an inhuman organization like the one that Ikari ran, and that was our downfall. But will this new rebellion force us to be inhuman once more? To indulge in the massacre of innocents that they so delight in? Will we resort once more to daggers waiting in the darkness? No! I say, no!"

The others waited as Reinholt caught his breath. Santiago did have to admit that the Messiah was one Hell of an orator.

"As of today, this 'Sword of God' is the enemy of the whole world. It is an evil that cloaks itself in righteousness. It is our duty to protect the world from their corruption. As of today, the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces are under war conditions. All NERV branches have martial authority over the cities they guard. What befell the Ninth and the Tenth branches must never happen again!"

The darkness snapped to attention and saluted the Secretary General.

000

1st Lt. Corrie Hayes absent-mindedly fondled the bars of the new insignia on his collar. Lt. Antoinette St. Croix eyed him jealously. Lt. Hanano Miyazawa, a replacement technician, was at Lt. Miyuki Kata's post since the control officer fainted due to fatigue.

"I guess you're quite pleased with yourself, Lt. Hayes," Antoinette remarked with a bit of sarcasm.

Corrie blinked as his reverie was shattered. "Wha-?! Oh, you mean the promotion? Yeah, I guess I owe everyone a beer."

Antoinette turned her chair to look at her new superior officer. _'Doesn't he know I hate him?!'_ She was startled as Corrie turned to face her, a smile on his face.

"How about after this shift?"

Antoinette reddened. _'Is he asking...'_ "Ah, sure... I guess..."

Corrie beamed at her. "Cool!" Then he turned to Miyazawa. "Hey, Kano! How 'bout it?"

"Free beer? Sure thing, sir," the woman with short brown hair replied with an impish grin.

Antoinette sighed as she returned to her workstation. _'Maybe not...'_

000

_'She's all right now...'_

Shinji looked up at the ceiling of his new apartment as he lay on the floor. The apartment seemed bare because his sparse belongings were still in the packing box he had crammed them into.

Officially, he was supposed to be under arrest and should have been in one of the maximum security cells deep within the bowels of NERV-1. Hijacking an EVA and subverting a superior officer to be his accomplice was punishable by death. As it was, Santiago pointed out to the Committee that Pilot Ikari's selfish intention to save Pilot Soryu did result in the destruction of the Sword of God's seven EVAs.

When the Committee finally relented and downgraded the punishment, it released the order that Pilot Ikari and Colonel Hyuga were to be imprisoned indefinitely. Since the orders mysteriously disappeared from all records, Commander Santiago had been forced to release his second in command and his best pilot.

Shinji could never understand adults and the games they played.

With an annoyed snort, Shinji sat up and looked at his bare apartment. The decision to move out of Misato's apartment had been hard but necessary. He didn't feel like living under the same roof as Asuka.

He walked over to the balcony and looked out at Tokyo-3. He turned and looked up at the balcony above him. He was right under Misato's apartment. _'I'll still protect you. That's the only way I can make up for what I have done...'_ He thought to himself as he continued his vigil over the fortress city.

_'We didn't finish the swimming lesson...'_

000

The blue Angel dodged the barrage coming from Allen's Unit 32 and disappeared in the cloud of smoke. Allen gasped and backed himself towards Juno's Unit 30.

"Great job, Allen!" Juno cheered sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Allen snapped back. They had been going for at least two hours and the stress was finally getting to the both of them.

"Angel is circling, it is going above you on the rooftops!" Lt. St. Croix reported. Antoinette was quite nervous since Colonel Misato Katsuragi had personally volunteered to oversee the training mission. Allen pointed his palette gun upwards while Juno drew back her lance.

"SHE'S CHARGING?!" Antoinette screamed in warning as the Angel suddenly dropped towards both EVAs. "SCATTER!"

Allen's EVA fell with its gun firing, a progressive knife stuck to its chest. The Angel landed lightly on its feet then charged Juno's EVA-30. Juno thrust her lance forward. The Angel jumped over the lance, stepped on it, and then high-kicked Unit 30 in the head. As Unit 30 fell backward, the Angel grabbed the lance and wrested it away from the EVA and turned the blade around. By the time the Angel's feet touched the street, it had already run Unit 30 through with its own lance. Allen's EVA regained its footing and it fired at the Angel's head. As if performing a dance, the Angel tilted its body to a side as it pulled the lance free from Unit 30, crouched down, and launched the lance in one fluid motion. Allen's Unit 32's head went sailing off. And it all took less than eight seconds.

Lt. Antoinette was drenched in sweat. She just lost both EVAs without doing any damage to the Angel. This was bad.

Misato looked at the monitors and noted that Antoinette had disconnected both pilots before the Angel destroyed their EVAs. The Colonel made a notation on the clipboard she carried.

"All pilots return. Good job, Rei." Misato said into her headset. She waited for the pilots to acknowledge before turning to the control staff. "Well, it looks like this team has passed the evaluation. Good job, everybody."

Antoinette simply sighed in relief. Lt. Hayes and Miyazawa gave her the thumbs up. Antoinette smiled back. She really needed that beer Corrie promised.

000

**NERV-1 Indoor Firing Range**

The gun's report was loud. Shinji looked at the paper target ten meters in front of him. That made it forty times in a row that he missed.

"It's easier in an EVA isn't it?"

Shinji looked back at his guardian who was quietly having a smoke behind him. He just nodded as he reloaded his gun. As he brought up the gun once more, he felt Ritsuko walk towards him. She ran her hand along his arm and raised it a bit more. She whispered in his ear.

"Don't forget to breathe. Imagine yourself in an EVA."

Shinji nodded. He began to breathe deeply as he put his imagination to work. He could almost see the targeting displays come on line. He gritted his teeth. "Center on target. Switch."

Ritsuko withdrew her hand from her ward's skin. She ran the tip of her thumb over her finger tips. She smiled.

000

Asuka stood in front of the grave marker in khaki fatigues, a bullet proof vest protected her body and a helmet was on her head. A rifle was slung over her shoulder and a pistol holstered at her side. Hikari stood behind her and to her right, the girl also wore the same gear as Asuka. Several other soldiers stood watch near an armored personnel carrier Asuka had borrowed.

Asuka saluted before turning on her heels to return to the safety of the armored vehicle.

000

**NERV-1 Accommodation Block**

Colonel Makoto Hyuga sat in his apartment's living room. He had given the nanny the day off as he wanted to take care of his daughter personally. As he rocked his baby's cradle, he nursed a drink and watched the TV with the volume turned down. Outside, the geofront's ambient light was turned down to simulate the late afternoon condition on the surface.

"Ah, domestic bliss. Makoto, I envy you."

Makoto simply grinned weakly. Most people would have had heart attacks when the Director of Section Two suddenly appeared in their house uninvited (that is if they knew who he was). As it was, the Director had standing invitations to the Hyuga household. He had been the best man during the wedding.

"Not, really Shigeru, not really. Go help yourself to the drinks. You know where it is."

000

_"Unit 02 and 15 have engaged two enemy units in the Southern Quadrant," Makoto reported from a mini-screen inside the entry plug. "All other UN EVAs are down, enemy units converging on to their area! Be careful Shinji!"_

_Shinji nodded from his seat as he gripped the control handles in agitation._

_"SHIT! Unit 02's down!" Makoto's voice was strained as he tried to out-maneuver the two UN fighters on their way to stop Unit 01's carrier._

_A chill washed over Shinji as he felt a part of him suddenly disappear._

_"UNIT 15 DESTROYED!! PILOT FLATSCAN!!" Makoto screamed into the comm link as they neared final approach._

_The young man screamed. "UNIT 01! LAUNCH!!" The locks came off with the snap-hiss of hydraulics and the armored giant fell to the hellish battlefield trailing vapor as it fell._

_That was Shinji's last coherent thought. The rest of the battle was just a blur of action, thoughts were unnecessary as he entered the no-mind state of a berserker._

_He screamed in anger as he crashed into the one armed EVA that had downed Kensuke. Shinji straddled the EVA as it tried to get up and then crushed the head in his purple hands. Shinji then punched through the enemy EVA's armored chest and ripped out the EVA's dummy plug from the hole he had made. With a twitch of his hand he destroyed the plug._

_On down, five more targets to go._

_He could feel them coming._

_He wanted them to come._

_The silver EVAs converged on the only remaining UN EVA - Unit 01. As they rushed Unit 01 with their lances and prog knives, Shinji's purple armored body tensed. With a roar, his armored jaw opened._

_A purple light flared from Shinji's body and engulfed the charging EVAs and stopped them in their tracks. The pillar of light rushed up into the sky and formed a cross that illuminated the battlefield as if it were morning._

_In a mad rush of speed, Shinji grabbed an EVA by an arm and a leg and broke it into two over his jutting knee skid. He then threw the parts with enough force to launch of a pair of EVAs off their feet._

_An EVA rushed up to attack him. He just looked at it, his eyes flared deathly white, and the enemy EVA was thrown back, most of its frontal armor disintegrated when Shinji's AT Field hit it. Without pause, Shinji flashed forward and slammed the EVA's head into a burning building. The enemy twitched as it hung by its neck from the hole in the ruined building. As Shinji turned his back on the doomed EVA the weakened structure collapsed atop the enemy._

_Shinji turned to the last standing EVA. He made slashing motions with his hands and the enemy was neatly halved by projected AT Fields. Blood and LCL sprayed into the heated air from the dismembered parts of the EVA as the upper body pinwheeled in the air. The lower body fell to its knees from the impact of the main body on the street._

_The two EVAs he had knocked down were back on their feet and launched themselves at Shinji with synchronized flying kicks. Shinji dodged both and deftly caught the outstretched leg of one of the EVAs and used the unlucky EVA as a club to bash the other one out of the air. He then began to bash the EVA he had caught against its partner in an unmerciful display or raw power until the EVA's leg finally gave way and came off at the knee, throwing the EVA Shinji was using as a club behind the monstrous young man. It lay behind Shinji as its partner was before the young man - a broken heap of mutilated flesh and steel._

_He looked down at his shortened club, steam rising from his breath as he panted. He could feel his throat raw from the unfamiliar bestial roaring he had done throughout the slaughter. He released the severed leg, he no longer needed it as a weapon._

_It was just a simple matter of ripping out the dummy plugs and crushing them in his hands._

_In a moment it was all over. Then he began to eat._

Shinji gave a start and disturbed the water in the communal bathtub as he was brought back to the present. When he was being debriefed he couldn't remember any of the details of the battle, why did he remember them now?

His breathing was ragged as he brought his palm to his face. In the background the sound of dripping water echoed in the still silence.

Shinji came upon a horrifying discovery. All along he believed that the EVA was evil. That it wanted death and destruction. But during the battle, it wasn't the EVA that went berserk. It was him. At the time that he saw his friend die, the distinction between Self and EVA disappeared, and he had looked upon his true self. And it was not good.

Did that mean it was him who was evil? Did it mean that he willfully killed that doctor? If so then what about Koworu death? Or what happened to Asuka?

"Interesting." The whispered word echoed in the communal bath.

In a flash Shinji reached for the gun he had placed upon the tub's rim and had it trained upon the owner of the unknown voice - a boy with blond spiky hair and a gold cross earring dangled from his left ear. He wore an oversized formal school jacket over a simple black plugsuit.

"Who are you?" Shinji surprised himself with the tone of his voice. He was so confident. So cold.

The boy cocked his head to a side, unperturbed by the gun trained on him. "Who am I? Shitou."

Shinji's reluctance to hurt people saved the blond boy from getting shot.

The boy smiled in amusement. "Yamato Shitou, pleased to meet you, Ikari Shinji." The boy walked over to Shinji, who scuttled back away from him. Once more, Shitou smiled in amusement. He reached into his jacket.

Shinji fired. The gun's report echoed in the bath.

Shitou smiled. "You are a lousy shot, Mr. Ikari. I meant you no harm." Shitou withdrew a disk from his jacket. "I think this will be of interest to you."

The blond boy placed the disk on the tub's rim. "Mr. Ikari, the next time you shoot, it would be helpful if you keep your eyes open when you squeeze the trigger." Again, he had the smile that Shinji had started to hate.

Shinji looked at the disc and finally reached for it. When he looked about, the boy was no longer there. All that remained to prove that the encounter had happened were the bullet hole on the tiled wall, the spent cartridge on the floor tiles, the acrid stench of gunpowder, and the disc in Shinji's hand.

000

Somewhere deep within the bowels of Central Dogma, a door opened and spilled light into the darkness. A figure cast its shadow on the rectangle of light.  The figure then moved to the large, bulky machine in the middle of the room.  The machine was scorched, its casing was dented and pockmarked by bullets.

The figure stopped before the machine and gazed almost affectionately at it.

"Hello, Mother," Ritsuko said in way of greeting.

000

Lt. Hanano Miyazawa began to giggle again. Lt. Antoinette St. Croix thought it was creepy, the way the woman would look sly and then have a giggle fit. Lt. Corrie Hayes was a bit tipsy and joined in the giggling.

Lt. Miyuki Kata just rolled her eyes and continued drinking, she really wished she hadn't gotten dragged into this, free beer notwithstanding. She never did ask for companionship.

"TO WORL PEESH!!" Hanano finally blurted out as she raised her beer mug in a toast. She immediately keeled over into unconsciousness and Antoinette had to catch her beer mug before it spilled.

"Well, it seems that the entertainment just passed out," Miyuki muttered as she looked around the lounge. She saw Hikari, Asuka, and Toji sitting together at a table.

"You're getting married?" Asuka repeated in disbelief as she looked into her mug.

"Yeah, my father was really crying his eyes out, saying that I'm too young and that I'm still his baby," Hikari said with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, I want you to be my maid of honor."

"You're going to get married in the middle of a war?" Asuka asked morosely as she drank her beer. She sighed. The redhead looked at Hikari disapprovingly. "Are you sure it's love and not the instinctual desire to propagate for the survival of the species? Or did he knock you up already?"

Hikari looked shocked and hurt. This was something she hadn't expected from her best friend. True, she was pregnant, but... The girl slapped Asuka and then ran away as the tears streamed from her eyes.

Toji glared angrily at Asuka as his hands balled up into fists. "You really are a bitch you know that?!" Toji then stood up to follow his fiancée.

Asuka looked numbly into her mug. And then threw it at a wall. She ignored the looks the other patrons were giving her as she stood up and made her way home.

"bitch queen strikes again..." Lt. Kata murmured into her mug.

"luuv 'n peesh..." Lt. Miyazawa gurgled drunkenly.

000

"She did what?!" Shigeru asked his inebriated friend. He was feeding the baby with the bottle because he didn't trust Makoto to do it properly in his drunken depressed state.

"I brought Rit-chan in for the inoculation and to cheer up Maya," Makoto downed his glass for the umpteenth time. "Y' see it was after the Twenty-First and we thought that bitch Rist-Ritst-Ritsuko... yeah Ritsuko, we thought the bitch died."

"Anyway, I was surp- surprised when I entered Maya's lab and there she was!"

"Who?" Shigeru poured another drink for his friend.

"Both of them," Makoto looked morosely at his glass. In the golden liquid he could see images. Maya leaning towards Ritsuko, her hands clutching in what seemed to be desperation at the other woman's coat. "I should stop."

"Come on, unburden yourself, man. You always kept what you feel bottled up."

"Just like Shinji..."

"Yes. Just like Shinji."

"At least he gets to live with the woman I first proposed to..." Makoto said miserably. A feminine gasp could be heard from the foyer, too low to be heard by the drunken colonel.

Shigeru snorted as he looked at his friend. He took a sidelong glance at the foyer just in case.

"ANYWAy... where was I? Oh, yeah... So there they were...they were..."

Shigeru watched as his friend dozed off into unconsciousness. _'You never could hold your drink.'_ He looked at the baby in his arms. The baby looked up at him with clear intelligent eyes. He could hear Maya sobbing in the foyer.

With a sigh of exasperation he gave the baby some advice as he made her burp. "Don't be like your parents."

000

"Is it true?" Shinji asked as he curled up against a corner, his face buried between his knees which he had pulled up to his chest.

"Where did you get this disk?" Ritsuko asked as she typed on her laptop at Shinji's kitchen table.

"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT!" Shinji screamed in frustration.

Ritsuko licked her lips as she thought of a way to phrase her words without upsetting her ward anymore than necessary. She soon gave up. "Yes. It's true. The dummy plugs were created from data taken from the first three Children."

Shinji swallowed the lump in his throat. "And the failsafe?"

Ritsuko steeled herself, "Yes, the dummy plugs required an actual living pilot in order to function. It uses the pilot's neural connections instead of directly interacting with the EVA. By taking over the pilot's body, the dummy plug fools the EVA into thinking that the pilot's soul is its own - allowing for a greater degree of control. It also prevents misuse of the dummy plugs because a pilot must also be coerced into entering the dummy plug."

"That means..."

"Yes..." Ritsuko licked her dry lips, knowing exactly how her words will affect her ward. But she could not lie to him. "The dummy plug EVAs you fought contained Children."

Shinji groaned in despair. An image flashed in his mind.

A giant purple hand crushing a white entry plug.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Juno: A single step forward into the depths of darkness between Heaven and Hell as more pages of the Project are revealed. Heaven and Hell 1:6 - Lies and Silence II.


	16. Lies and Silence II

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:6 - Lies and Silence II

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:6 - Lies and Silence II**

The Commander's office was often called likened to limbo. Black polished marble covered the ceiling, floor, and three walls. One could almost feel the sensation of falling into the abyss if it were not for the only two points of reference in the shadow shrouded room: the floor to ceiling armored glass windows that served as the fourth wall and the huge faux wood office desk in the middle of the floor.

And in this forbidding room, two creatures of darkness meditated upon the present.

"Project Ascension is nearly complete," Colonel Makoto Hyuga observed as he sat on a chair before the desk. He was slouched forward, his hands clasped together with his elbows resting on his thighs.

Santiago snorted from behind the folder he was reading. "The arrogant fools have already begun the Second Stage even before the First Stage has been completed."

"It will all hinge upon the Truthsayer," Makoto muttered.

"The Messiah of Joshua will rise and succeed where the Messiah of Moses had failed. That is the most important thing," Santiago turned a page.

Makoto glanced sideways at his commander. "And we will finally know the true Messiah..."

"And Salvation shall be our reward," Santiago responded almost automatically.

Makoto nodded wearily. It was all he could do to believe.

Santiago's eyes fell on the header of the document he was reading: Project Ascension. Another Tower of Babel. Just like Instrumentality of Man Program and Human Complementation Project. An attempt to build a monument to the arrogance of man. No matter how noble the intention...

"It is an evil that cloaks itself in righteousness," Santiago quoted the Secretary General. This time he didn't smirk - he found it too ironic to be amusing.

000

"rei."

The blue haired girl stirred from her sleep and looked up at the familiar silhouette of Asuka which blocked the moonlight coming in from their bedroom window. Asuka reeked of alcohol and Rei's sensitive nose could pick out the familiar smell of salty tears.

Rei was a bit worried at Asuka's tone. Asuka sounded just like her from two years back: emotionless and lifeless. "What is wrong?"

"i'm so confused," Asuka almost whimpered. "i thought he loved me. but he -- he-- rei... he just used me..."

Rei sat up and Asuka sat down on Rei's bed.

"i was nothing to him... a doll... toyed with me... did he hate so much that he did that to me?"

Rei remained silent. Asuka stared morosely at the floor of their room.

"do you want to know something?"

Rei looked at her friend. Asuka's eyes brimmed with tears.

"i think i'm still in love with him..."

Love- an emotion the First Children was acquainted with. "Try to talk to him. He is probably as confused as you are."

Asuka just looked at her roommate. Slowly, she nodded her head and went over to her bed and dropped herself onto her sheets.

000

Deep within the bowels of NERV, in a room cloaked in shadows and secrets, a being stirred.

_'Who...'_ an innocent voice asked, the voice was hesitant and confused but it still had the hint of music and life.

"Do you remember who you are?" another voice answered. The innocence contained in its music was dulled, tarnished by mischief.

_'I am... I am... I--' the_ innocent voice faltered as confusion swept over it and finally it paused as it took stock of itself. _'I feel as if I am floating. I feel as if there is another outside of me... no... not just another... several more... who are they?'_

"They are you. And not yet you. They are your future, and yet they might not be. They will contain your past, as you contain the past of others," the mischievous voice contained amusement.

'I see!' the innocent voice gained life. 'But... that means that what I am is not my true shape. That I and They are nothing but shells to contain that which cannot be contained.'

"Truth." The mischievous voice lowered conspiratorially. "The Lilim say that Truth is beautiful."

'Is it not?' the innocent voice asked with awe.

"No, for if it was, then lies would never be needed. Tell me. Who are you?"

A moment's pause. 'I am.'

Deep within the bowels of NERV, in a room cloaked in shadows and secrets, two pin pricks of light came to life.

They were the eyes of the dead reawakened.

000

"...I understand... OK... Take care of her... Thank you, Rei." Misato hung up the phone before turning to face the rest of the people in the observation room. "Rei and Asuka can't make it, begin the test."

Maya nodded, "Begin Harmonics Test!"

The technicians began testing and monitoring the pilots inside the entry plugs on the other side of the armored observation window. In front of them, from left to right, were small screens showing the pilots: Yuri, Shinji, Juno, and Allen.

"Three absentees," Maya observed darkly. "If Commander Ikari was here, I would have gotten my ass chewn off."

"Thank God our new boss isn't a workaholic perfectionist," Misato replied. She moved to the back of the observation room so that they could talk in near privacy.

"Do you know why?" Maya asked.

"Something happened between Asuka and Shinji, I don't know what but it had to be bad. Asuka basically volunteered herself for the suicide mission to Brazil. And then Shinji moved out of my apartment after they got back." Misato took one of the coffee mugs by the coffeemaker. "Asuka came back home about several hours ago, Rei said Asuka was drunk and in no condition to be tested. Rei offered to look after her in case she does something crazy."

"And Toji? I thought the Commander straightened him out already?"

"I dunno, probably related to what happened last night, Section Two reported that he and Hikari got pissed off at Asuka for... something..." Misato's brow knitted. "You said three."

"What?" Maya replied innocently.

"You said we had three absentees, you didn't count Hikari."

"Oh," Maya replied off-handedly. "That's because she was taken off the pilot roster, we couldn't risk anything happening to her or her baby because--"

"HOLD IT! BABY?!" Misato turned to Maya with a shocked expression.

"Yes... weren't you told?" the young doctor faltered at Misato's reaction. She could sense that some of the technicians had began to eavesdrop on them. "Her physical exam two days ago confirmed she was two months pregnant, the Commander was pissed as hell."

"Oh, god. What the Hell were those kids thinking?!" The Colonel took her head into her hands as she suddenly felt old and tired at being left out of the loop. And slightly envious.

Maya smiled wryly. "They probably weren't. But somehow it's a good thing because the kid will probably be able to synch with an EVA, especially since only the kids born within ten years after Second Impact have a Midichlorian count high enough to have the ability to--"

"So it's good because we can now breed pilots? Do you know you sound like Ritsuko?" Misato sneered in distaste.

Maya took a sharp breath, then hung her head in shame. "I- I'm sorry."

Misato smiled, sadly, a bit guilty at being a bitch. "No. Don't be. I'm just being a bitchy old spinster."

"I'm still sorry."

000

Ritsuko stood in the middle of the dimly lit room, her hands in the pockets of her leather coat. In the glass tanks surrounding her, bits and pieces of organic matter floated in the crimson mixture of blood and LCL. The edge of Ritsuko's lips twisted in distaste.

"Trust me, I had no part in it this time," she said to the darkness.

"I actually believe you," Santiago replied as he stepped into the meager lighting provided by the monitors and ambient lights of the glass tanks.

His eyes focused on the single immense tube in the center of the room. It alone had a pure LCL content. Unfortunately, pure LCL was the only thing it contained at the moment.

"Tell me Commander, was he your Rei?" Ritsuko asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Santiago fixed her with a cold glare. "You do know what happened to the cat who got too curious?"

"Really Commander, did you think that for once I thought you'd let me go after you've used me? It's been a long time since I've been that naïve." Ritsuko could feel the fear build within her, she knew she was crossing the line, but there were things she had to know to be able to do what she had to do.

"And it's also been a long time since you've cared for something that you're prepared to lose everything for," Santiago replied bitingly.

Ritsuko felt like she was slapped. "That's a lie!"

"Is it?" The Commander challenged.

They looked at each other with intense hatred. Ritsuko broke eye contact.

"That's a lie," she muttered rebelliously.

Santiago walked away.

"I happen to like cats," Ritsuko mumbled as she angrily wiped away a stray tear with the back of her hand.

As the door slid after him, Santiago gritted his teeth and his shoulders sagged heavily. He had lost the key piece in his plan.

000

"Hello?... Kodama?... Why aren't you in school?... Bomb scare?... Oh, not yet... Please get Father... No, it's not about the baby... Just please call Father..." Hikari twisted the sheets between her fingers as she waited for her father to answer the phone.

She looked at the tear stained sheets in between her ringless fingers.

"G-good morning Father... No... I'm fine... I think I won't get married anymore..." Her voice cracked as she failed to control herself and the sobs began anew.

000

"Last ten minutes," Lt. Hanano Miyazawa remarked off-handedly.

"Everything's stable, I don't think Pilot Ikari's ratio will get any higher than this," Lt. Miyuki Kata replied from Kano's right.

"And he's supposed to be our ace pilot?" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix added with a hint of disappointment from Kano's left.

"Cold soba and cherry manju, washed down with oolong tea..." Kano said with a happy lilt.

Antoinette and Miyuki paused in what they were doing. They looked at each other over the other technician's shoulders.

"Are you still drunk?" Miyuki asked.

"Not at all, I just don't think we should worry about it. He'll pull through, you'll see," Kano answered as she winked at the stern and serious officer.

"How'd y'know?" Antoinette asked.

"Faith." Kano smiled warmly at her coworkers. "Two years ago he saved us from the First Wave." A tinge of sadness crept into the officer's smile. "He'll do it again."

000

"Oi! Takashi!" Lt. Corrie Hayes cried out in greeting as he stepped into the control room.

Lt. Takashi Yamazaki turned from his post at the primary workstation. The officer was a few years older than Corrie and had a face that Corrie always thought looked like a fox: hooded eyes and an almost perpetually amused smile.  "You're not supposed to be here if you're off duty," Takashi responded with a raised eyebrow.

Corrie smiled nervously. Takashi was a fun guy, except when he's on duty. "I left some work on the stati--!" Corrie almost yelped as he caught the disk Takashi suddenly threw at him.

"Don't leave your work lying around," the older officer admonished.

"Y-yes, sir!" Corrie saluted.

"Duty Officer! Call from McDougal at Hangar 12," the tech at Takashi's left reported.

"Get off my bridge Hayes, we've got work to do," Takashi growled teasingly as he waved Corrie away. He then answered the phone. "This is the bridge."

000

"Dr. Ibuki, 1st Lt. McDougal calling," Antoinette raised the phone she was holding towards the scientist.

Maya blinked, she wracked her brain as she tried to remember the identity of the caller.

Antoinette saw the puzzled look on Maya's face and she covered the mouthpiece. "Head Engineer, Hangar 12. She said Yamazaki at the bridge transferred her call to you."

Maya took the phone, a chilling wrench in her gut as she accepted the call from the technician at the EVA hangar. "Yes?"

Misato came over and she could hear the frantic voice from the phone.

"It twitched?" Maya asked in stunned horror. The confirmation came over the phone line. Maya screamed at the technicians in the control room, "PULL OUT ALL PILOTS!"

Inside his entry plug Shinji's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly pulled out of the chaotic miasma that was the heart of the EVA. Not that he wasn't glad to be removed from the usually calm and welcoming sea of consciousness within the Beast.

But the suddenness of his withdrawal hinted at something wrong.

And then he heard it - a scream muffled by steel and LCL.

000

"Curioser and curioser..." Shigeru muttered as he stood before the large viewing windows of the Commander's office, the spy master clasped his hands behind his back. His black suited form stood in stark contrast to the muted morning light streaming in from the other side of the armored glass.

"How soon can we find the traitors?" Makoto asked without preamble. The Colonel angrily paced before the large empty desk.

"Soon. Damn it. Unit 30 heavily damaged Hangar 12 in its spasms, fifteen engineers wounded and two dead," Shigeru said as he pulled out his dark glasses and put them on. "The engineers are trying to free Units 30 and 32 from the rubble. And the Head Engineer nearly quit. The Technical Division would have collapsed without her."

"How about the pilot?"

000

Juno lay naked in the highly sterile life support unit inside a sealed room, tubes and wired trailed from her naked body. The cover of the bed like unit closed, encasing the young pilot in life saving technology.

Outside the room Allen stood, still wearing his plugsuit with a towel draped across his shoulders in order to catch the liquid dripping from his hair. He gazed in through the observation window. His breathing was fast and shallow as he tried to focus his eyes on his friend's face. But several times he caught himself gazing lower.

Finally, with an unreadable expression on his face, he turned away. His towel was no longer draped across his shoulders but carried draped across his forearm which was across his belly.

000

"She is fine, physically at least. We'll know by tomorrow how her mind held up against the backwash the computer virus caused," Shigeru's eyes scanned the green canopy of the forest down below. "However, Misato isn't fine. She's been harassing my agents ever since."

"Ever heard of mother bears with cubs?"

Shigeru harrumphed. Then a smile slowly formed on his face. "She is one extraordinary woman."

Makoto nodded. "So how's the Commander holding up?"

The spy master scowled darkly. "I have no idea."

000

Allen jogged along the tree lined pathway. Above his head were the series of skylights in the bottom of the lake which was the heart of the fortress city. He hummed to the music streaming from the earplugs which trailed to the SDAT player in his track suit's pocket.

In the distance, in between the trees he could see the Chapel. A darkness encased in white. Maybe it would be a good place to go to, to clear his mind of the disturbing thoughts.

_'My God.__ What am I thinking... She's...'_ He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Sweat trickled down his face.

Allen paused at the edge of the tree line as he saw movement within the Chapel. The boy paused as he saw Commander Santiago come into view. The man's black clad, muscular frame was slumped in what seemed to be fatigue as he laid a single white rose before the memorial wall.

Curious, Allen quietly sneaked closer to the Chapel. He didn't really plan to or at least that's what he kept telling himself. But then of course, his mother trained him too well...

000

Shigeru's brow knitted. "I really don't know what the Hell he's thinking right now."

In the distance, he could see the Chapel. The white structure stood against the backdrop of the trees on a clear gentle slope.

000

Allen silently walked up to the side of the building. It wasn't so much that he planned on spying rather that it was just something to do. Something to get his mind off the thoughts haunting his mind.

He peeked around the corner of an archway. He stared directly into the empty structure. "What the-?!" Allen's eyes scanned the area. There was no trace of Commander Santiago.

Cautiously, he stepped into the Chapel.

"What are you playing at, Pilot?" a chilling voice whispered from the shadows of the wall to his left.

Allen froze, not wanting to make sudden movements that would alarm his Commander. He glanced sideways and saw Santiago leaning casually against the supporting column of the archway Allen had entered through. The boy relaxed as soon as he verified that his Commander wasn't pointing a gun at him.

"I just wanted to visit Mom," Allen nodded towards the monolith.

Santiago smirked. His eyes fell upon the white rose he had placed before the memorial.

"You know your mother's name isn't on the memorial."

With lips tightly pressed together, Allen turned on his heels.

Santiago's strong hand grabbed his arm, preventing the boy from leaving.

000

Shinji stood behind the firing line, his arm raised his pistol at the unmarred target in front of him. Smoke drifted around him. Once more, he had completely missed. He carefully reloaded his gun. Shinji glared at the target. He pulled back the slide and chambered a round.

Three shots rang out.

Three holes appeared around the center of the human silhouette on the target.

Shinji's eyes opened in alarm. He turned on his heels and dropped to his knees with his gun pointing forward.

"What? You're gonna shoot me too?" The red head looked coolly at him as she re-holstered her gun. Asuka wore jeans, a loose shirt, and sneakers.

"Asuka..." Shinji dropped his eyes as he also holstered his gun under his shirt.

"Heh." Asuka smiled nervously at the boy, but she knew Rei was right. She had to talk to the boy to clarify whatever they have between them. She brushed away a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I... um... we look alike."

Shinji tried to ignore the fact that they were dressed the same except that Asuka was noticeably female. Why was she trying to get close to him after what he had done to her? To all the people? He was a monster, a beast like that which he piloted.

Shinji huffed, blowing his bangs from his eyes. "Asuka..."

"Shinji, you really need a haircut," Asuka stepped towards the boy, her hand rose to touch his face.

He flinched away and Asuka felt a pain in her heart. "D-do you hate me?"

Shinji looked up, tears escaping from his eyes. He found that tears were brimming in her eyes.

He wanted to reach forward.

To comfort the one who was closest to his heart.

But he was a monster.

And thus he ran.

000

"How are you doing, kid?" Toji whispered soothingly as he gently massaged the young lady's back as she lay with her head on his lap.

"I'm sorry," Hikari sobbed. "I couldn't..."

"I understand," Toji replied. "You don't want to marry me because I got you pregnant."

Hikari nodded, glad that her fiancé was so understanding and sensitive.

"But I do want to marry you," his hand moved from her back towards her front. "The baby is just a bonus."

Hikari's small hand covered his as he rested it on her belly. She smiled. "Toji..."

"Here," he smiled down at her as he returned her engagement ring to its rightful place on her finger.

000

The main transit hall of the geofront was crisscrossed by walkways and escalators.

And up one of the down escalators, a figure with short dark hair was running up. On a nearby escalator going up, a girl with fiery red hair was running in the right direction.

"GODAMNIT!! SHINJI!! STOP!!" Asuka was getting tired, they've been running for some time and fatigue was setting in. She could feel the ache in her legs, the inferno in her lungs.

Shinji didn't look back as he cleared the top of the escalator and entered one of the rail depots filled with NERV personnel.

"Damnit!" Asuka muttered as she drew her gun as she continued the chase. The alarmed personnel began ducking for cover. Asuka lined up the sights at the boy's legs. Then she froze – _'WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!' _She nearly stumbled at the realization that she was going to shoot Shinji.

For his part, Shinji saw one of the trains begin to pull out of the depot. Everyone in the depot looked on in awe as Shinji jumped clear of the platform and grabbed hold of the window wipers of the train.

Asuka stood by the edge of the loading platform as the train sped off with the boy holding on tight. On Asuka's face was shock as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Shit! What the Hell?" someone asked the question in everybody's mind.

Asuka spat out an expletive as she stalked out of the depot.

000

"He hates me," Maya muttered as she looked down at her baby.

"Eh, what would you feel if you saw him kissing Misato?" Ritsuko asked with a smirk. The two women sat in Maya's office, drinking coffee.

"I already said I'm sorry!" Maya cried out.

The baby began to cry at her mother's harsh tones. Ritsuko raised an eyebrow as she brought her coffee mug to her lips. "To me, yes. How about your husband?"

Maya busied herself with her baby since the babysitter had evacuated from the city.

"I see," Ritsuko stated. She smiled. "She's here."

The door slid open with a hiss, her gun preceded the indomitable Asuka Langley Soryu's entrance into the office.

Maya hunched protectively over her baby.

"Please, Asuka. Holster the gun, you're scaring the baby."

Baby Ritsuko gurgled happily as she played with her mother's hair.

"Right." Asuka holstered her gun with simmering anger. "You knew I was coming!" She accused the two doctors.

"Of course, systems were made to be used," Ritsuko replied with her usual amused smirk. "Section 2 informed us that you nearly blew Shinji's legs off."

"I clearly doubt that." Asuka crossed her arms across her chest. "What happened to Shinji?!"

"What do you mean?" Ritsuko asked while already knowing the answer. Maya carefully pulled herself and her baby into the background.

Asuka breathed in deeply as she tried to control her anger. She glared at Ritsuko. "Living for two years in a farm doesn't make a superman."

"Ever tried it? They say clean living does that to--" Ritsuko was cut off by the gun pressed to her forehead. "I see. You've lost your sense of humor."

"Don't tempt me," Asuka snarled as she pressed the gun harder against the scientist's forehead. "What have you done to my Shinji?!"

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "Your Shinji?"

Asuka blushed furiously. "You know what I mean!"

"Ah, yes. Your Shinji." Ritsuko looked Asuka in the eye. "He died more than two years ago."

Asuka gasped as if she was physically struck. "H-he's a clone?"

"Yes." Ritsuko's eyes darted towards Maya as the younger woman held her daughter tighter. "Now, can you please keep your gun so that we could talk like civilized people?"

Asuka nodded as she numbly holstered her gun and sat down on a chair before her knees could give way.

"Remember the month after the Fourteenth Angel? Ever wondered why Shinji didn't come home for almost a month?"

"I - I just thought that he was in the hospital. But... I should have tried to see him..." The girl's eyes darted about as if she was lost.

"It was understandable that you would resent Shinji. But even if you didn't, we wouldn't have allowed it. You were not allowed to know back then. His EVA absorbed Shinji, it made him a part of itself as it had Shinji's mother."

Asuka looked up at Ritsuko. Maya gasped in protest, Asuka was not allowed to know. Ritsuko ignored Maya's protest.

"Yes, just like your own mother. You have much in common with Shinji." Ritsuko saw Asuka nod in understanding. "But unlike Yui and Kyoko, Shinji was returned. His original body was dissolved and lost when we tried to recover him. But the EVA kept his soul and encased it in a new body."

"So, he's still the real Shinji!"

"Yes. But better. The EVA made him a body like its own."

"I see." Asuka massaged her forehead. "I feel dizzy. I think I'm going home."

"Can you make it home alone?"

"You know I'm not going to be alone. Section 2 will be with me."

Ritsuko nodded.

"Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes?"

"Why was I allowed to know this time?"

"Because."

Asuka nodded and then was gone.

000

"A-chan, is anything wrong?" Misato whispered soothingly at the boy who was sprawled on his side in his room.

Allen turned to Misato as he realized that she had just given him a child's nickname. "Don't call me that," he groused as he wiped his tears away.

Misato smiled kindly at her new baby. "So, what's wrong." She had to admit that she was finally getting the hang of this motherhood thing.

"... Nothing..."

"Well, remember that I'll be here if you decide to tell me about this Nothing," Misato playfully tussled his long hair. "You really should get a haircut."

Allen gave an irritated growl, "it's my hair..."

Misato giggled. "Get some rest."

Allen yawned as he settled back on his bed. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled dismissively. He froze as Misato leaned over and kissed the top of his head. His mother used to do that. He watched as Misato left his room.

"Good night, A-chan."

Still blushing, he burrowed under his sheets and tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. "G'night, Mom," he mumbled sleepily.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Shinji: What is a dream? Is this a dream? What is reality in a world of illusion and lies. In the heart is the only truth. Heaven and Hell 1:7 - Truth of the Heart.


	17. Truth of the Heart

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:7 - Truth of the Heart

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:7 - Truth of the Heart**

The dark pre-dawn sky began to lighten with the sunrise. Juno stood by the rooftop's parapet. She found the mixture of gray, purple, yellow, red, and orange ... pretty. She shuddered as she took a drag from her cigarette. Pretty was not a word she usually used. But to be truthful, she liked the dawn, it reminded her of Henri's painting which Allen had hung up on his room.

"He would have thought that people will overcome," a blonde boy said as he sat on the roof of the small building that housed the stairwell.

"He always cared. He came here to fight for people he didn't even know. And you know what? He was Catholic and he fought against God, they tend to be fucking fanatics y'know," Juno remarked with a sad, amused smile as she blew out a stream of smoke. The wind on the roof deck pressed the light material of her pajamas to her slim body. "Do you know why I joined up?"

Juno caught the chocolate bar Shitou casually tossed at her. "I was wondering about that," the boy confessed, a smile on his lips.

"Because I hated my bitch of an Aunt," Juno answered. "All I wanted was to get the FUCK out of that SHITHOLE! Not because I wanted to be Humanity's Defender! Not because I wanted to help people! I wanted to get away from that fucking bitchy asshole!" A shudder ran through her body.

Shitou looked down at her.

Juno spat out her cigarette and ground it into the roofdeck with the heels of her sneakers. She sniffed back a sob. "I hate her so much. And damn it, I should stop smoking. Fucking filthy habit, that. She caught me once and whipped me, saying that God would damn me to Hell for being a harlot." Juno shivered and hugged herself at the memory of having a riding crop repeatedly striking her body. "She made me say the Hail Mary while she did it. Over and fucking over again." The dam finally broke and she began to cry.

"Juno?"

Juno sobbed as she felt the arms surround her, the warm body pressed against her back. "please... just hold me..." the girl begged the boy.

"um, I got worried. You're not supposed to leave your room." Allen said. He wondered who she had been talking to since she was alone on the hospital roof when he found her. He felt her weight against him and he decided to sit both of them down on the deck while he could still support their combined weight.

"but the Bitch was wrong... i thought of doing it just to spite her..." Juno whispered as he cradled her against his body, her sobs quieting down. "but i didn't want to make her right."

"Juno? What is it?" Allen was really afraid for Juno. He didn't even know if he was the one she was speaking to or not.

"want to know something?" She had a far away look in her eyes as she gazed into his. Allen nodded, hoping that the accident the previous day had not affected her.

Her hand rose to caress his cheek. "...i'm still a fucking virgin..."

000

The sun was beginning to rise as Shinji slowly walked back to his apartment, his body was tired, his clothes were bedraggled. When the young man finally reached his door he looked at the neat little bullet hole that had taken out his door lock. Without further ado he slid his door open.

"I'm home," he said as he stepped through the doorway. "Hopefully no one's here," Shinji added more quietly as his hand went to the gun under his shirt. He carefully searched his apartment for the intruders; he noted the unwashed dishes in the sink, the wet floor of the bathroom, and the slightly ajar door of his bedroom.

Shinji glanced through the crack of his door. He saw the young woman sleeping on his futon and wearing one of his shirts. "It figures..." Shinji muttered as he holstered his gun and entered his bedroom.

Shinji stood over Asuka's sleeping form. The young woman lay sprawled over the futon; her shirt had several buttons undone - revealing the naked flesh underneath, the sheets were twisted around her legs after being thrown off during her fitful sleep.

Carefully, Shinji reached between Asuka's legs and pulled the blanket over the young woman.

Moments later Shinji went out dragging a blanket and a spare pillow. On his futon, Asuka mumbled as she turned in her sleep.

000

Ritsuko sat in the middle of a tangle of cables and spare keyboards. She leaned back against the towering, battered, metal casing of the last remaining original MAGI unit.

Ritsuko blew out a stream of smoke, the cigarette still stuck to her lower lip.

"They don't know about this little side-project of yours do they?" Misato said as she stepped out of the shadows.

"Shit!" Ritsuko exclaimed as she looked up at her friend. "Is coming out of the shadows a trademark thing for Neo NERV? Personally I think it's a sign of a creepy mind with a penchant for sado-masochistic tendencies."

Misato ignored that comment. "So, do they know?" Misato offered a mug of coffee to her friend, keeping another one for herself.

"If you know, that means that they know beforehand," Ritsuko saw Misato flinch from the insult. "But they haven't stopped me yet. You know why? That's because they've planned this."

Misato carefully cleared a space beside her friend and sat down. "I'm listening."

"Third Impact. We stopped it at its most critical point, before the Messiah of Moses was able to choose... Salvation through destruction. They plan to continue with Third Impact." Ritsuko took a sip of the warm coffee. She grimaced as it became apparent that Misato brewed it herself.

Misato stared into her mug, as if searching for enlightenment within its murky depths. "And you want to stop it?"

"We've placed too much faith in miracles, paradise is a myth. More than five billion died for this war, just because a handful of men decided to play world saviors."

Misato looked at her friend as Ritsuko looked wistfully at the machine they shared the room with.

"Mother and I would try our best to stop them." Ritsuko stood up and laid a hand against the cold metal. She glanced at Misato who was staring hard at the floor. She smiled. Ritsuko knelt down before her friend. "Now, you're the only one who could guard the Children."

Misato's mug shattered on the ground as she covered her face with her hands as Ritsuko slumped over, fallen to her enemies. She cried at betraying her friend.

000

Corrie yawned and stretched as he walked into Central Dogma to begin his day in the admirable profession of protecting Humanity. Or something to that effect. God's in His Heaven, All's right with the World. Or some bull like that.

_'Three of the Four have been defeated. The Herald - Rafael, The Warrior - Michael, The Host - Jibril.'_ He looked down the long corridor. _'One more Trial, and then what?'_

The huge blast door opened before Corrie, the noise of the wind in the main transit hall was deafening against the relative silence of the corridor he had just came from.

_'Destruction or Salvation.__ Is there a difference?'_

The Lieutenant was startled from his thoughts as the escalator he was on neared a walkway that passed over its path. On the walkway, an unknown boy stood. Spiky golden hair was visible under the peaked cap the boy wore. His black oversized school jacket fluttered gently in the breeze. Even at a distance Corrie could see the boy's red eyes, and the golden sparkle of the earring on the boy's left ear. The boy was looking straight at the soldier.

And then Corrie passed under the walkway.

Corrie turned in the escalator to look once more at the walkway. The boy was no longer there.

"Corrie! Good morning!" Lt. Yamazaki greeted as Corrie disembarked from the escalator. "Hey, what's wrong? Looks as if you've seen a ghost."

"Eh? No, it's nothing Takashi," Corrie replied as he walked distractedly past the older man. Lt. Takashi Yamazaki just gave him his usual mischievous fox smile.

And then darkness.

000

Lt. Antoinette St. Croix looked over to Lt. Miyuki Kata. "Hey, Miyuki, are you sure you can handle another shift?"

"Not unless you have a pet lemming that can take my place," Miyuki replied curtly.

Antoinette blinked. Miyuki seemed pissed off. _'Is she having...'_

"YAWN!" Lt. Hanano Miyazawa greeted her co-workers as entered the control theater. This of course set off a train of yawning all over.

"Don't do that again Lieutenant," Colonel Makoto growled in annoyance at the control officer. Most of the staff were currently on their second straight shift. "Lt. Hayes won't be coming in?"

"Um, yes, Sir. Lt. Takashi Yamazaki just got off double shift and Sgt. Megumi Sadamoto is still in the hospital, so I was the only control officer free to substitute. I just got the call from the Personnel Division about an hour ago and --"

"Lieutenant..." Makoto interrupted the younger woman.

"Um, Sir?"

"Did I really need to know all that?"

"N- No, Sir," Hanano almost whimpered.

"Then go take Lt. Hayes' place."

Lt. Hanano Miyazaki looked sheepish. "I - I can't, Sir."

Makoto almost lost his temper at this point. "Why?"

"I'm trained for Communications and EVA operations, Sir. Not Tactical Operations Support."

" ... " Makoto looked at his choices. Antoinette tried to look indifferent but he could see her excitement. He looked over to Miyuki. He knew the more competent officer had no training for Corrie's duties. Miyuki on the other hand... Well, the woman had actually started pulling her weight these past few days. "Lt. St. Croix, take Lt. Hayes' position." He then fixed her with a glare. "Don't screw up."

"SIR!" Antoinette stood up and saluted smartly. She almost bounced her way to Corrie's workstation while Hanano took hers. She was a bit bothered that everyone was in a foul mood, but of course, she couldn't help but feel delighted at the chance fate had given her. _'I wonder why Corrie couldn't make it...'_

000

The forest was an inferno. The sky was red as blood. And in the midst of the conflagration lay the bodies of demons, those fallen in the battle that caused the Hell on Earth.

Yuriko saw the lance coming at her head. With a deft flick of her wrist, her EVA brought up its own lance to deflect the enemy weapon. Sparks flew as blade slid against blade, and then the blades were once more separated.

With a scream of fury the young girl drove the shaft of her lance under her opponent's guard, forcing the other EVA to the ground. It will never rise again. Yuri took a step forward as she spun the lance in an overhead move that decapitated her enemy.

"HAH!! Is that all you've got?" the girl challenged.

A mini-screen appeared in front of her. Toji glared at her in annoyance. "Oi, don't be too cocky. We're sending you one more."

"Bring it on!" Yuri cried out in defiance.

Toji smiled at her before he shut off the screen.

Yuri twirled her lance, the progressive edge hummed as it vibrated near the speed of sound. She kept turning, preparing for an attack from any side. "Only one? Come on, don't think so little of me! I've been doing well against four!"

The girl paused, her eyes widening as she felt the AT Field washing against her own. She looked up and screamed in horror at the sight of the blue EVA falling towards her.

"So, how did it feel to get your butt kicked?" Toji laughed boisterously as he ruffled his little sister's damp hair.

"Shut up!" she snarled as she pulled away from her brother. Toji stepped back as droplets of LCL were shaken from the girl's plugsuit. "No fair! Rei is way out of my league!"

"So are the Angels," Rei added, startling the sibling who hadn't noticed her arrival. The blue haired teen was drying the LCL from her hair with a towel. "Pray that you will have no need to fight pilots of your level."

Yuri nodded in understanding. The trio walked towards the elevators.

"Toji, I heard you were getting married," Rei said as the elevator doors opened and the Suzuhara siblings stepped aboard while she stayed behind.

Rei's eyes glanced away from the pair. "Don't lose hope," she said softly. Before Toji could ask her what she meant, the elevator doors closed.

000

He could hear the screams.

Misato's kiss.

Nine white EVAs circling.

The remains of Unit 02.

Spreading his wings.

Rei.

"Shinji."

Was he dreaming? The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar silhouette against the sunlight streaming in through the open door to the balcony. He couldn't see the features but he knew the person.

"Yes?"

"Do remember? Can you tell the lies from the truth? Reality from dreams?"

Shinji thought for a moment. Then slowly he shook his head.

"It will all come back to you," the figure said. "It must."

"Or else, all will be lost," Shinji murmured sleepily.

Blood.

Darkness spreading over the Earth.

Rei.

"Shinji."

Was he dreaming? The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw a familiar silhouette against the sunlight streaming in through the open door to the balcony. He couldn't see the features but he knew the person.

"Asuka..." Shinji tried to sit up but he was pulled back by the pain in his arms. He took note of his body. His hands were handcuffed above his head to the cushioned steel frame of the couch he had slept on.

His eyes widened as the knife Asuka held caught the sunlight. Asuka walked up to him. He could see her face now, the cold look in her eyes. Then the freezing kiss of the knife on his cheek. He tried to hide the terrified look in his eyes but he couldn't close them.

"Don't resist," she said as she knelt on the floor beside the couch he lay on. Shinji felt her warm lips on his.

"I've caught you," the girl whispered as she sat back on her heels. The knife slid down his face, past the trembling knot in his vulnerable neck, and finally rested against the first button of his shirt.

"For a long time I've hated myself, after my rape I couldn't know how anyone could love me." He closed his eyes as the knife sliced off one button.

"I thought that not even you could love me." Another button.

"You're the only one who could possibly love me." A third button.

"You were there after it happened." One more left.

"But I was too messed up to know what I really felt till the day you left." His shirt fell open and he looked up at her eye to eye.

"I was afraid because you might not want me if you knew what really happened." With a deft flick of her wrist Shinji's belt buckle flew from the severed belt.

"But, there's no problem really," an icy glint came into Asuka's sky blue eyes. Shinji gasped as the knife slid between his pants and his skin. "You already took what you wanted!" she hissed as she slashed.

"Asuka... please... don't..." came Shinji's strained voice, he couldn't look at her.

Asuka stood up and looked down at her handiwork. She smiled a cold, soulless smile.

000

Atop the roof of the First Municipal Middle School stood a young man of about seventeen years of age. He had spiky blond hair and a gold cross earring on his left ear. His irises were completely red. Like diluted blood. The parts of his body which were left exposed by his black plugsuit showed that he had pale skin. His black oversized formal school jacket caught the wind and billowed behind him in a theatrical way.

He had a sad, determined look in his eyes, and the line of his lips was grim. He watched as the lights of the city began to come to life as the bright sun died. He watched the arrogant pride of man to fight against the beauty of the night.

He sighed as he took a chocolate bar from the inside of his jacket and slowly unwrapped it.

And Shitou smiled.

000

"I just wanted to visit Mom," Allen nodded towards the monolith.

Santiago smirked. The man's eyes fell upon the white rose he had placed before the memorial.

"You know your mother's name isn't on the memorial."

With lips tightly pressed together, Allen turned on his heels.

Santiago's strong hand grabbed his arm, preventing the boy from leaving. Allen gasped as the man pulled him to his chest. The boy struggled against the strong arms but he was just a child. He wanted to cry in panic as he lost control of the situation.

Then the boy felt it.

Something warm and wet fell on his cheek. Allen's ear was pressed against Santiago's chest and the boy could hear the suppressed sadness within.

And then the boy remembered.

_He was a small child. It was in the plaza of some city. He had been to too many of them to remember which one. All he could remember was the fountain and the big church._

_He played by the fountain, mesmerized by the ripples made by the cascading water spouting from the statues. His mother sat on a table, reading a book as she watched him play, making sure that he did not get lost in the milling crowds._

_He watched as a man sat down beside his mother. The man looked scary. The man was well dressed and looked clean, but the man still looked scary behind the dark glasses he wore. In his child's mind, he knew the man was scary and that he should fear the man._

_His mother was surprised and he was about to run towards her when she smiled at him before turning once more to the scary man. He watched as his mother and the scary man talked._

_They talked for a long time. Even as a child he knew his mother was sad and angry at the strange man._

_Before the man left, he smiled at the child, and for a moment, the man did not feel scary._

_The child ran to his mother. "Mommy, who that?"_

_She smiled at him as she leaned over to kiss him, her wavy brown hair tickled his face. "That was someone I knew a long time ago."_

Once more Allen was back in the chapel, held by a man who was nothing more than his Commander. Allen felt his own tears come to his eyes. "Please, let me go," the boy whispered with sadness.

But that was all in the past. It was just the day before, still past is past. All one can do is look towards the future.

Allen adjusted his cap on his head as he walked out of the hospital room. He had a sorrowful, almost longing look on his eyes as he watched the girl sleeping on the bed.

He inhaled to gain strength and then closed the door behind him.

000

Shigeru Aoba strummed his guitar as he looked over to his prisoner. A table separated their seats. It was as if that was all the room contained; two men, the chairs they sat on, the table, the light shining down on them, and the suffocating darkness.

Corrie Hayes looked unperturbed as he held an ice pack to his head. "May we begin, Director?"

"Actually I was just waiting for you," Shigeru set his guitar aside. "Brother Cornelius Hayes."

Corrie blushed in embarrassment which defined his freckles. "Please, just call me Corrie. And I'd rather not remember that I was a priest. I'm no longer worthy of my Faith."

Shigeru just smiled patronizingly. "If you wish. And what does an agent of the Sword of God have to offer NERV Section Two?"

Corrie paled. He had heard of the Director and what he was capable of. But Corrie also had a card up his sleeve, and nothing else to hide or to fear from. Except probably eternal damnation. He regained his composure. "I'm not offering this info to Section Two."

Shigeru just looked at the young man before him and wondered just how much the enemy agent knew. And also if he should just lodge a bullet in Corrie's head and be done with it. He smirked. "Continue."

Corrie took a sidelong glance behind him.

"Don't worry, they're mine."

Corrie took a deep breath to relax himself. "Very well, Director Aoba. But first, I wish to know what your organization can offer me?"

000

"I'm a fuck-up," Misato said as she typed into the computer in her office. Empty cans of beer and cigarette stubs littered her desk. Hacking wasn't her strong point but spending enough time with Ritsuko had taught her a lot. Red signs informed her that she not authorized for the data she was trying to access.

She had played right into their hands. She didn't know who they were yet, but soon she will. For the sake of Ritsuko and her Children.

A beep. The red signs became green. Misato had a feral grin on her lips.

She'll make them pay.

000

Shitou carefully folded the foil wrapper of the chocolate bar. It had been nearly an hour since he finished eating the chocolate. Once the wrapper was a small square of exactly one inch to a side, he tucked it into a pocket.

Shitou took a peaked cap from an inside pocket of his jacket and gravely set it on his head. He ran a finger across the visor.

"It is time."

And a tear fell from his eye.

000

Hikari sat at an outdoor cafe, a happy smile on her face. Two more days and she will be Mrs. Suzuhara. Seven more months, and she will have a baby girl, Maya had said so.

And tonight, she will make love to her fiancé. She blushed at her thoughts. Now if only he'd get here. She knew she was about two hours early for their date but she wanted the night to be special.

She took out her phone, unable to wait. She watched a delivery truck park in front of the café. Hikari frowned as she waited for Toji to answer the phone. The truck was blocking her beautiful view of the lake as it reflected the lights of the stars and the city.

000

Why did she just do that, the girl thought to herself. She wanted him to acknowledge their feelings for each other but instead she had alienated him. Was she crazy? All she wanted was for him to be her own and nobody else's. But was this the way to do it?

"now you hate me," Asuka said in a dead voice as she lay on top of him. Shinji didn't answer as he stared blankly at the ceiling. "please don't hate me," she pleaded as she kissed his sweat drenched chest.

Asuka felt his chest muscles tense and then came the sound of metal snapping. Before she could move, Asuka felt his arms encircle her naked form, pinning her against him. He buried his face in her hair as he cried.

"I'm so sorry Shinji..." Asuka held on to him as if her life depended on it.

And then the white light came.

000

**Combined Operations Command**

"Yes, Hikari?" Toji greeted cheerfully as he answered his phone. Static greeted him. He looked quizzically at his phone, it's caller ID function still showed Hikari's name. Yuri looked up from her book. Rei stood by the parapet of the observation deck, looking over the bustling activity of the command theater.

The ground shook as sirens sounded.

"N2 EXPLOSIONS IN TOKYO-3!!" Lt. Miyazawa screamed. "MULTIPLE DEVICES!! DAMAGE STILL UNKNOWN!!"

Toji's phone hit the floor after it slipped from his numb fingers. His eyes were wide in pain and shock. His knees gave way as he stared blankly at the main monitor.

"DATA INCOMING-- WHA--?! DATA STREAM INTERRUPTED!!" Everyone looked on in horror as the main map became full of static.

"PATTERN BLUE!" Lt. Miyuki announced. "Logging target as Twenty Second Angel."

"AT Field jamming! All pilots to proceed to their EVAs," Lt. St. Croix directed at Lt. Miyazawa who nodded confirmation. "All ground combat troops on alert! Prepare for terrorist attack!"

Rei and Yuri helped Toji back on his feet and led him by his arms to the hangars. The different department heads in the theater began opening their weapons lockers.

Makoto just looked respectfully at Lt. St. Croix. A few moments ago he had thought that she had gone to sleep.

"Sir?!" Antoinette looked at Makoto for further orders as she began handing out the weapons.

"Deploy the EVAs in the geofront and spread their AT Fields. Find Colonel Katsuragi and have her brought here." Makoto gritted his teeth. The Scrolls were rarely wrong. But they did have a lot of glaring holes.

000

In the Commander's office, Commander Santiago stood over a pile of clothes. He held his bleeding shoulder with one hand while he stared at the gun that lay among the clothes. He knelt down and took a baseball cap from the pile.

The cap dripped amber liquid: LCL.

A pained, haunted look in his eyes.

"Be strong, kid."

The final Trial had begun.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Rei: The ending has began. A battle rages in the heart of NERV as the Children fight against the darkness within themselves. Heaven and Hell 1:8 - Lies of the Heart.


	18. Lies of The Heart

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:8 - Lies of the Heart

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:8 - Lies of the Heart**

Within the womb of the Earth, three behemoths stood vigil before the bastion of humanity.

Blue for the First Children. She who had held the world in her hands.

Black for the Fourth Children. He who had lost almost all.

White for the Seventh Children. She whose innocence was just shattered.

Yuriko Suzuhara could feel her heart flutter in fear. People in the city above her had been swept away in a wave of destruction. And most importantly, her brother's heart had been lost in the terrorist attack.

"It comes." The First Children stated over the comm link as she looked up to the ceiling kilometers over her head. The air distorted before the incoming wave of the AT Field. Rei's Evangelion raised its hands as if to stop the Twenty Second Angel's AT Field. Rei knew that she cannot stop the terrorists - her duty was to stop the Angel at all costs.

Yuri looked over to her brother's EVA - it was as silent as its pilot. Her brother was defenseless, no - not defenseless, rather, he didn't want to defend himself. Yuri gritted her teeth as she followed Rei's lead.

Yuri glared at the wave of AT Field as she brought up her EVA's hands.

"AT FIELD! FULL POWER!!" Yuri screamed in defiance.

Failure is not an option.

000

**IN THE HEART OF TOKYO-3**

**IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE**

**THE SEARCH FOR THE MESSIAH HAS BEGUN**

"Misato..."

Misato blinked and looked up from computer screen on her desk. Did she really hear his voice? She gasped as she felt strong arms gently encircle her shoulders, the familiar weight and warmth of the person leaning on her.

"It's all right Misato," the familiar voice cooed soothingly. She closed her eyes as she breathed in the familiar mix of cigarette smoke, sweat, after-shave, and whiskey.

"Kaji..." she whispered his name.

"Colonel Katsuragi!"

Misato was shocked awake by the insistent shaking of her shoulder. She blinked away her sleepiness. She groggily looked up at the soldier who had woken her. "Wha-?! What is it Yamazaki?"

"We are under attack, Sir!" Lt. Takashi Yamazaki replied gravely, he didn't have his usual fox smile, and Misato could see that he had caramel eyes.

Misato nodded as she took her jacket and preceded the other officer into the corridor. Yamazaki drew his gun after Misato passed him.

000

**THIRD CHILDREN: SHINJI IKARI**

**HE WAS GIVEN THE CHOICE TO SAVE OR DESTROY HUMANITY.**

**HE ABSTAINED.**

The young man sat atop a ruined catwalk, his knees drawn to his chest. The metal walkway jutted at an angle out of a sea of amber liquid. The liquid stretched as far as he could see. The light that reflected off the liquid gave the area a yellow-orange tint.

"Shinji."

Shinji looked up at the anguished voice that called his name. Did he just hear her voice? Why was it filled with sadness and pain?

"Shinji."

Shinji looked around for the voice. He noticed the broken statues that jutted out of the surface of the yellow liquid. They were large, like fossilized monsters with arms stretched out as if to greet some beloved who will never return.

"Shinji."

Shinji stood up, his eyes finally freed from the yellow haze of reflected light. A gigantic white cross loomed in the distance. Shinji's eyes grew wide as he noticed the figure spread out in the middle of the cross. The figure was dwarfed by the colossal size of the cross to which it was crucified.

"Shinji."

The figure looked at him and it felt as if they were eye to eye. Sky blue to midnight blue.

Her red hair was like flame. Her naked skin was pale. And the blood that dripped from the wounds in her hands and feet were red.

Shinji's eyes were filled with fear. "ASUKA!!"

000

"Angel AT Field has suffused the whole of Tokyo-3! Angel ECM intensifying!! We've been cut off from the surface! Nothing's going in or out!! We cannot locate the Angel!!" Lt. Miyazawa announced. On the main monitor was the final data received from the Tokyo-3 monitoring posts - the lake surrounded by the mega-city; two red circles covered huge areas of the fortress - the detonation range of the two recorded N2 mine explosions. No one knew if more had been detonated.

"Ayanami and the Suzuharas have vanished from their EVAs!! EVAs are silent!" Lt. Kata reported as the data started coming in from the empty EVAs which stood still in front of the pyramid. "LCL composition has changed, it is possible that they have been absorbed!"

"Sir, we have lost contact with the security troops in the Southwest Area, probably lost to enemy assault. MAGI detects that four gates in the area have been compromised!" Antoinette looked at Colonel Hyuga in expectation.

"Begin arming D Class personnel with any surplus equipment and confirm that everyone had been moved to mega-depth facilities. Get a recon squad to the Southwest Area. Order all combat troops that there will be no surrender." Colonel Makoto Hyuga's voice was pinched. He was fully aware of their precarious grasp on survival.

"Yes, Sir!" Antoinette replied before relaying the order to fight to the last.

"And can someone please find Colonel Katsuragi!"

An explosion rocked the ground and there were surprised cries as the lights went out. In moments, red emergency lights came on.

"Contact lost to the main power plant! We've lost 90 of our power! Life support to mega-depth facilities has been compromised!" Lt. Antoinette turned in her seat to look at Col. Hyuga. In the dim, red light she could see her superior's grim expression.

"Route all power to the MAGI and Terminal Dogma."

"Yes, sir!" Antoinette did as she was ordered to. She didn't voice out her objections because she knew the standard operating procedures - the MAGI and Terminal Dogma were both key to the survival of the human race. Sacrifice was acceptable. Besides, she saw the haunted look on Makoto's face as he ordered the possible death of his family.

000

**IN SHINJI IKARI'S HEART**

"No!" Shinji exclaimed as he took a step forward to the lake of yellow liquid and just as suddenly stepped back out as he remembered that he didn't know how to swim.

"Shinji." He could see the crystal tears sliding down her cheek, the blood dripping down her legs.

"Damn it! It's LCL! I can breathe it!" With a scream he jumped into the liquid that he hoped was LCL.

**A SELFLESS ACT**

Shinji was surprised as he landed on his feet in ankle deep blood. He slipped and fell face down amongst the bodies that littered the ground around him. The dead were in piles amongst the broken ruins, as if a graveyard had spewed out the corpses in its keeping. Burnt pieces of wood, metal, and concrete jutted out from the hellish aftermath of a battle. The air was filled with the stench of blood, gunpowder, and ozone. A slight fog covered the horizon, the titanic cross to which Asuka had been crucified was gone. He could taste the tang in the air and he could feel the grit in his teeth. He knew them to be the after effects of positron weaponry and a Non Nuclear explosion.

He tried to push himself off the ground. He flinched as his hand fell on something soft and mushy. Shinji nearly vomited as he looked down at the severed arm that he had his hand on.

"Where am I?" His hands covered his mouth to reassure himself of control over his digestive tract, his hands left crimson imprints upon his face. He frantically looked around and tried very hard not to be sick at the carnage that surrounded him.

Shinji swallowed the lump in his throat as he clambered up the mounds of dead bodies, his clothes stained red with blood. There was only one thing on his mind. He began screaming. "ASUKA! ASUKA!"

**THIS IS THE THIRD CHILDREN'S HELL**

000

**SIXTH CHILDREN: ALLEN ALLEYN.**

Allen woke up and found his mother sitting by his bed. She ran her fingers through his short military cropped hair.

"Hi, baby."

"Mom?" His mother wore her black combat uniform instead of her usual black commander's uniform.

"Please remember that what I will do is for you," she leaned down and kissed his forehead. She hugged him and he felt warm tears run down his neck.

"Mom, I- I don't understand..." he hugged her back.

"Baby, never forget anything that I taught you. Be strong."

"Mom, you're talking as if I won't see you again." Allen started to worry. Her comm link beeped and she stood up to go, gently removing her son's unyielding arms from her neck.

"Mom, promise me you'll be back!" Allen's voice cracked in desperation as his mother walked away.

His mother stood by his door. He can not see her face but he knew that she was crying. She nodded to him but did not say a word as she went away. He knew that his mother never gave a promise that she won't keep.

He spent the night crying. When they came for him several days later, he had ran out of tears.

He never saw his mother again.

**FOR TWO YEARS, HE LIVED FOR REVENGE**

**HE HAD STUDIED HIS ENEMY**

**HE HAD LEARNED THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES**

**HE WAS READY TO STRIKE**

**BUT**

**FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS, HIS WORLD HAD BEEN SHAKEN**

Allen touched the etched letters of his mother's name on the tombstone. She and her people were buried in the city where they had fallen. He was on his knees in front of his mother's grave. He wore jeans and a red shirt. A blue cap was pulled low over his eyes.

The boy's hand strayed under his shirt. He felt the cool, hard steel of the gun he had stolen from Juno. She had no use for it at the moment. He did.

"Be strong..." A mother's words echoed in the son's head.

Allen heard a familiar tune hummed and his long bangs danced in the wind that had appeared. Allen felt light headed, as if a great weight had been taken off his shoulders - it was as if the shroud of sadness and confusion in his heart had been ripped away.

Hope and memories.

Allen slowly turned around and saw a boy a little older than he was. The other boy had wild, unruly black hair and wore a black shirt, jeans and white sneakers. His eyes were as black as coal but shone with an inner light.

"A song is good," the boy said in a beguiling melodic voice.

Allen looked at the boy as if he was crazy. And a gnawing sense of disappointment.

The boy looked shocked as he took a closer look at Allen. "Oh, sorry. Thought you were someone I knew. I'll leave now." The boy stopped then looked back at Allen. "Sorry, but you do look familiar. Have we met before?"

Again, Allen looked at the boy as if he was crazy.

The boy slowly shook his head, a momentary look of confusion was on his face. He smiled before he spoke. "Probably from a past life. Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Look, this is crazy. I think you're crazy. So I'll be saying good bye now." Allen started to edge away from the other boy. Discomfort? Probably. He ignored the blush coloring his cheeks.

Allen walked away without looking back so he did not see the gentle smile spread on the boy's face.

**HE WANTED SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN**

Several minutes later Allen stopped walking. He looked back towards the cemetery. His hands clenched into fists and he started running back. Allen panted heavily and he walked the last few feet. He felt his heart sink when he saw that the boy was no longer by his mother's grave.

000

**IN SHINJI IKARI'S HEART**

"ASUKA!" Shinji screamed hoarsely with a tinge of desperation as he slumped down amongst the dead bodies that were piled up all around him. "Asuka... where are you?"

It dawned on him that it was over. He will never see her again. He no longer cared about himself as he gave up on finding Asuka. He wanted to die.

Shinji sobbed as he laid his head on the lifeless sacks of flesh that surrounded him. He couldn't care less about being revolted by touching dead bodies. He could feel his life drain away as he refused to live. In moments he felt the void within him grow and his sight blurred.

The flame of life began to dim. The drum beat of his heart came farther and farther apart.

**THE END HAS COME FOR THE THIRD CHILDREN**

"Get up." A cold, dispassionate voice.

The flame of life suddenly flared. The drum beat became louder.

Shinji blinked. He wondered if he had just imagined it as everything came back into focus. The familiar deep, cold voice that called to him. A shadow fell over him and he looked up at the familiar silhouette that had plagued his nightmares for so long. He held his breath in hope and fear. It was... "Father."

Shinji pushed himself up from the dead bodies and looked up at his father. The boy pushed his blood drenched bangs out of his eyes so that he could see better.

Gendo just looked at him and then began to walk away as if he expected Shinji to follow.

"Stop!" Shinji cried out to his father, not in a whining tone but rather authoritatively. In fact, Shinji reminded himself of his father.

"So." Gendo looked dispassionately at his son. "Are you going to fight or are you just going to lie there and die?"

"Fight? Who am I going to fight, Father?" the boy spat out in anger.

"Do you remember?"

"Remember wha--" Shinji was cut off by a flash of pain - he grabbed his head with both hands as the pain forced him to his knees.

Darkness spreading over the Earth.

Monstrous Evangelions with human faces.

A red lance at his throat.

Spreading his wings.

Rei.

Gendo smirked.

"So." Gendo towered over his child's cowering form. "Will you fight or will you let everyone down. Will you allow everyone to be returned to nothing?"

"What other choice do I have?"

"A lot more than you think. All you have to do is grab it with your own strength. You are Yui's son. You are no longer a child, Shinji. Stand on your own two feet," Gendo looked away from his son, "and walk."

"I remember," the young man smiled bitterly. "Your first words to me as a father..."

Shinji looked up when silence answered him. He was greeted by the empty white landscape. With a resigned sigh, he stood up and brushed the tears from his face with the back of his hand.

"I mustn't run away."

000

Shitou paused as he entered the Chapel. He cocked his head to a side and smiled.

There was screaming as gunfire echoed within the forested parks of the geofront. The soldiers of both sides played a fatal version of hide and seek amongst the trees.

NERV soldiers fought with the desperation of those who would not accept their own deaths, the cold steel of those who lived and protected by taking the lives of others.

The fighters of the Sword of God fought with the flaming passion of the fanatic, those who cared more for the death of their enemies rather than their own survival.

Who was right? Who was wrong? They both fought for what they believed was right. And both were in the right, and at the same time in the wrong.

The three EVAs towered over the battle, still and unmoving - mute witnesses to the murderous ways of humans.

Inside the control theater, officers and technicians prepared for the worst as they barricaded the doors and prepared to fight to the end.

"Enemy forces are advancing from Entryways 109 and 065 - they have breached Central Dogma!" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix reported. "We've lost contact with Second and Twelfth Troops."

Makoto's fists trembled - he still had no word about his wife and child. He went to the front of the bridge and looked down at the theater. It had become a sort of rallying point for the beleaguered defenders. Wounded soldiers and non-combat personnel milled about as they waited for orders. All of them were armed.

"Move First Troop to the base of the Main Transit Hall!" Misato ordered as she strapped on a flak jacket. "Order Ninth and Tenth Troops to withdraw from the First Defense Line and into Central Dogma! The enemy has already sneaked in and they're useless in their current position! Close all the blast doors linking all sections! Let them fight their way through one section at a time!"

"We had six Troops in Tokyo-3, none of them have reported in," Lt. Yamazaki said from where he sat at the head control officer's station - his prerogative as the most senior control officer. "I wonder if they used all five missing N2 mines?"

Antoinette and Miyuki paled at the thought of the carnage in the surface. By the last estimate, half of the city's population was dead. Including four Evangelion pilots. Antoinette looked over at Misato and saw the restrained anger and grief in the woman's actions.

"I wonder if there are any survivors up there," Lt. Hanano Miyazaki wondered aloud as she completed loading an automatic rifle. She leaned it against one of the workstations as prepared to load a pistol. "How the heck did they sneak those N2s into the city in the first place?"

Before anyone could answer, one of the doors to the theater exploded inwards and the shooting began.

000

**SIXTH CHILDREN: JUNO HURST**

**SHE HAS DEEP SCARS WITHIN HER SOUL**

Juno felt like she was floating in warm water. She knew she was naked by the warm caress of air on her face and chest which were above the water. The girl opened her eyes and turned her head in the water when she felt something bump into her.

Juno's breath caught in her throat. The water was red and smelled fishy. The thing that bumped her was a human head. A severed head. Fear gripped her and she turned her eyes to the sky.

The red sky from which a red eye looked down at her.

Fear gave way to panic.

The red eye blinked.

She screamed.

**SHE HAS A DIFFERENT PATH**

000

The Control officers and technicians were all crowded into the bridge section after the invaders withdrew. Twenty NERV technicians and officers were alive out of those who had gathered at the beginning of the battle. The bodies of tan uniformed NERV personnel and green uniformed enemy agents littered the blood-stained floor of the theater. The huge main monitor was shattered, the three next generation MAGI were also not spared from destruction - the terrorist goal was destruction, not capture. NERV was now dependent on the sub computers that supported the MAGI.

Miyuki leaned against one of the workstation, she gasped as she tried not to look down at herself as Yamazaki bandaged the painful wounds on her chest.

"They said that the brassiere was invented when Amazon warriors bound their breasts so that they wouldn't get in the way when they draw their bows," Yamazaki joked half-heartedly, a sad, wistful smile on his face. "It was a sort of rite of passage for young Amazons to get their first bras."

"Didn't anyone tell you that lying is bad?" Hanano dryly remarked to Yamazaki as she held Miyuki's hand.

"She's been gone a long time," Lt. Yamazaki whispered as he tied off Miyuki's bandage. He felt the sadness from the memories, but this was not the time for it - soon, they will be together again.

"All gates from here to Terminal Dogma are no longer sealed by the MAGI - their locks can now be manually over-ridden," Antoinette reported to Misato and Makoto as they all crouched behind the Commander's table and out of direct danger. "Communications jamming isn't very severe within Central Dogma but we've lost communication with our units within the geofront. We've lost control from Level 29 to Sub-Level 04; that includes the EVA hangars." Antoinette looked at the far wall of the Command Theater - the EVA hangars were only several meters away.

Makoto nodded morosely as he slumped against the Commander's chair. Still no word about his family.

"Er, I'll leave you alone for a while, Sirs," Antoinette said with discomfort. She stood up and walked over to where the other control officers were crowded around Miyuki.

"Lieutenant."

"Sir?"

"Good job," Makoto gave a tired smile. "Remind me to put you up for a citation."

Antoinette nodded, for once not feeling proud at being praised. She wondered to herself if she was finally growing up.

Shots rang out.

Antoinette only had one thought on her mind as she fell – _'I wonder if Lt. Hayes liked me..'_

The battle for the control theater resumed.

000

Ritsuko sat on the uncomfortable cot in the cramped isolation ward. In the distance she could hear the muffled screams, gunfire, and explosions.

Her palms were sweaty and her body shook nervously.

"Soon... Soon... Soon..." she mumbled, as if the words were a mantra against the evil to come.

000

**FIRST CHILDREN: REI AYANAMI**

_Rei__ walked down the corridor seemingly not aware or minding her nakedness.__ Commander Gendo Ikari walked beside her as they entered Terminal Dogma. The gigantic form of the crucified Angel loomed before them, Heaven's Gate stood open behind them. The Angel was almost completely formed now that the Lance of Longinus no longer hindered its regeneration._

_They stopped as they saw a figure sitting at the edge of the catwalk. The figure wore a white lab coat over her blue and black uniform. Her eyes were devoid of emotions._

_"I've been waiting for you." Ritsuko pulled a gun from her lab coat and pointed it at Gendo. Cold loathing was in her expression. She had been used and betrayed. "Sorry, I just changed Mother's program. All for this final moment. Mother, please die with me."_

_Ritsuko__ clicked on a remote control. Nothing happened._

_"Wha-?!__ Not activated?" Ritsuko exclaimed in surprise before realization dawned on her. Three super computers that formed the MAGI. One was based on a mother. One was based on a scientist. And one was based on a woman. All three computers; Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, were all patterned after a specific part of her mother's personality. The part of her mother which she hated had opposed her, her mother had traded the daughter for the lover. "Caspar opposed it! Mother... you want to protect your man and let your daughter-"_

_Gendo__ drew his gun and pointed it at her. He said words that Rei couldn't remember._

_Gunfire erupted inside Terminal Dogma. Rei lay on the floor with Gendo on top of her. Blood pooled under Rei. Ritsuko stood before them, her gun smoking. By the great blast doors of Heaven's Gate, three UN soldiers lay dead._

_"He- he saved her," Ritsuko was frozen in surprise. She limped towards the two and gently pulled Gendo off Rei. She cradled his head as he breathed his last. His lips moved painfully and his eyes slowly glazed over. Ritsuko bent her head closer and strained to hear his voice. Gendo gasped in pain as he said something that she couldn't make out. His eyes slowly glazed over as death took him._

_Ritsuko__ lowered Gendo's head on the floor and knelt beside Rei. Rei's eyes were open and her pale white form was drenched in the blood of another. Ritsuko pressed the barrel of her gun to Rei's forehead._

_Rei__ shuddered. Tears streamed from her open staring eyes. There was nothing. Nothing worth living for. But she was afraid of inexistence. Afraid of not being. Afraid of the shape that was truly hers. There was a scream that she felt through her whole being and it wrenched her heart - because the scream was not her own._

_"shinji..." Rei suddenly felt as if she had awaken from a deep sleep. She wanted to raise her head off the floor but something was pressing on her forehead. Slowly her eyes began to register her surroundings, the woman kneeling above her and the gun pressed between her eyes. In the background she could see the true form nailed on a cross._

_"You're nothing but a doll," Ritsuko said in a flat, emotionless voice. Rei stared at her. The gun was warm against Rei's skin. Ritsuko smiled down weakly at the girl. Murderous jealousy had turned to something else... "But I will not be God."_

_Ritsuko__ stood up and brushed the dust from her knees. "Do what you must. I'll try to save him by my own way."_

_Rei__ looked up at Ritsuko then at the white form of the crucified Angel. Ritsuko went away, limping from the wound in her leg._

_Rei__ tried to do what she was supposed to: to show her true self._

_"i am home." Rei said, but her enthusiasm for the reunion had been dampened. The resolve she had gathered during the night before had evaporated like mist in the morning sunlight._

In the sea which was the heart of EVA, Rei opened her red eyes and looked slightly angry.

"Leave me," Rei intoned and the dream faded away.

000

Shitou stood atop one of the columns of the chapel. Below him smoke rose from the forest and the NERV buildings that lay beside the pyramid.

"As you wish, Mother." He smiled as he gently chewed on a bar of chocolate. "As you wish..."

000

**SEVENTH CHILDREN: YURIKO SUZUHARA**

"Am I dead?" Yuriko asked as she laid her head on the lap of the boy as they sat under the shade of a large tree. She looked up at his unruly black hair, and his shining black eyes.

The boy shook his head and smiled down at her. "No, Little One, this is just a dream," he replied in a melodious voice as he brushed her hair with his fingers.

Yuri blushed a bit, "I'm not that young..."

He laughed and his laugh sounded like clear crystal. Yuri sighed happily and stared off at the blue sky.

000

"Sir! Third Troop reports that their area is clear and that they are proceeding here to relieve us!" Lt. Kano reported as Misato tied a tourniquet to Kano's leg as the Lieutenant tinkered with the portable radio transceiver. There were only fifteen of them left as the enemy decided to withdraw once more. Everyone crouched low behind the workstations and none of the them dared to stand up after Antoinette's lesson.

"Tell them to hurry up or they'll have no one to relieve!" Makoto responded as he loaded his rifle. Makoto sidled up to Kano. "Any word about Doctor Ibuki?"

Kano bit her lip as she shook her head. A look of disappointment crossed Makoto's face as he stared at the floor. "Um, Colonel, they might be jamming us or the portable in their shelter might have been damaged."

"It's alright, Lieutenant," Makoto responded as he looked up, a determined look came into his eyes.

"Sir?" Kano felt nervous. Especially after Makoto stood up.

"Makoto?! What are you doing?" Misato hissed as she tried to pull him down.

"I'm sorry, Misato, but I have to go. My baby..." Makoto raised his rifle. He swallowed hard. "And I..."

"Makoto! Get down!" Misato snapped.

"They're back!" An officer shouted as he began firing into the darkness below the bridge.

"SIR!!" Kano screamed over the raging firefight.

Miyuki knelt before Antoinette's body. Tentatively, she reached over and closed Antoinette's eyes. Then she began to cry.

000

Shitou lay on his back on a pew in the Chapel, his right foot flat on the ground. He had crossed his left leg over his right and gently swung it like a pendulum. In the distance, the sounds of gunfire had diminished. "I find the Lilim amusing. Do they really hope to save themselves on this path they follow?"

"With the Lilim, one cannot really tell." Another boy appeared out of the background. He had unruly black hair and eyes as black as midnight.

Shitou smiled, neither welcoming or happy. "So, you have come to interfere."

"You know I cannot."

"Liar. You have already taken several of them from my sight."

"I only took those who would be hurt. Those who cannot be the Chosen."

"Cannot be Chosen?" Shitou asked with amusement. "That is not for you to decide."

The black haired boy averted his eyes guiltily.

Shitou narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Give them back. You are preventing me from fulfilling my purpose."

"I..."

"I see. The Lilim have corrupted you. They have given you what is not within our province. Your heart is no longer pure." Shitou gave a dispassionate glance at the black haired boy. "Give me what I need and I shall release the one that I hold."

The black haired boy balled his hands into fists. Shitou smiled.

000

**IN ALLEN ALLEYN'S HEART**

Allen stood before Henri's unfinished painting which he had hung on the wall of his room. The boy's gaze locked onto the swirl of red, yellow, and orange paints. What was supposed to be a panorama of Tokyo-3 in the pre-dawn hours looked like an image of the city burning.

Allen reached out and touched the painting. It felt warm. And moist. He looked at his fingertips which were covered with paint. His eyes widened as the paint began to seep over the edges of the canvas and ran in rivulets down the wall.

Then like a dam bursting, several cubic tons of paint rushed out of the painting and swamped Allen.

The young boy wasn't even able to scream.

000

**IN YURIKO SUZUHARA'S HEART**

Yuriko looked up at the boy's face when his hand stopped brushing her hair. His gray hair drooped and his red eyes were very sad.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a small voice.

"Nothing... it is nothing. Something got into my eye."

A tear fell from his eye and landed on her cheek.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Rei: The final barrier has been opened and the end is coming. The Third remembers. The Second awakens. The First unleashed. Heaven and Hell 1:9 - When Children Spread Angel Wings II


	19. When Children Spread Angel Wings II

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 1:9 - When Children Spread Angel Wings II

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 1:9 - When Children Spread Angel Wings II**

**SECOND CHILDREN: ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU**

"now you hate me," Asuka said in a dead voice as she lay on top of him. Shinji didn't answer as he stared blankly at the ceiling. "please don't hate me," she pleaded as she kissed his sweat drenched chest.

Asuka felt his chest muscles tense and then came the sound of metal snapping. Before she could move, Asuka felt his arms encircle her naked form, pinning her soft, trembling body against him. He buried his face in her hair as he cried.

"I'm so sorry Shinji..." Asuka held on to him as if her life depended on it.

And then the white light came.

**IN ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU'S HEART**

Asuka blinked away the motes of light and rubbed her eyes against the sleeves of her NERV jacket. Slowly, the young woman regained her sight. She gasped as she noticed the person sitting opposite her in the train car filled with amber light.

Chief Pilot Asuka Langley Soryu had a shocked look in her eyes as she stared at a younger version of herself. An angry child with red hair hugging a stuffed monkey doll.

The little girl glared at her older self, and she said one word that struck Asuka hard : "Slut."

000

A blue flame in the sea of life within the throne of souls.

With a roar, Unit 14 awakened. The Evangelion of the Children called Rei Ayanami.

The fighting soldiers within the expansive underground forested park froze as a wave of absolute terror swept the area. The NERV soldiers would have cheered but they did the more practical response: they pulled out of the battle and began an almost orderly retreat away from the EVAs.

Shitou and the other boy looked on impassively as they stood inside the Chapel.

"I think she's angry," the other boy said as he pushed his gray hair out of his eyes.

Unit 14 pulled itself into a ball, light distorted around it as its AT Field was pulled into itself. The EVA gave off a sense of malicious glee as it released its AT Field. Trees went down as if blown by a hurricane. The men caught in the wave simply disintegrated into a fine spray of orange liquid. NERV or Sword of God - in the end, they all suffered.

Shitou just smiled.

000

Shinji pressed the button on the wrist of his plugsuit. The plastic fabric clung to his skin with the hiss of the vacuum pump.

Black moon.

White EVAs circling.

Red Earth.

Lilith.

Rei.

Lilith.

Rei.

The young man frowned at the almost forgotten dreams of so long ago. He would not fail them again.

As he stood before his locker, the pilot wondered if he needed a weapon. He decided he didn't need one. Besides, even if he could find a gun, he couldn't use one effectively anyway or bring himself to kill another person even in self-defense. He left the locker door open.

Shinji's footsteps rang as he walked on the metal walkways of the EVA hangar. The young man sniffed the air, smelling the acrid smell of gunsmoke, the fishy stench of blood and LCL.

He paused as he came to the first body. A NERV technician lay before him, sprawled and bleeding along the catwalk before Unit 01. He knelt to check but he already knew the man was already past rescuing. The young man's eyes followed the trail of bodies - defenseless technicians and engineers slaughtered by the enemy.

The enemy!

Enemy fighters looked up from where they were trying to cut into a sealed door with laser torches.

"It's a demon-child!" one of the fighters cried out as he brought up his weapon. Sparks flew from where bullets struck the handrail near Shinji, causing the young man to throw up his arms to shield his face.

Enemy in front, a long narrow passageway behind. With nowhere to run to, the pilot threw himself off the catwalk and into the cooling pool of his EVA. He landed with a splash. The enemy soldiers stood on the catwalk and fired downwards into the pool.

Bullets streaked in the liquid, trailing bubble tails. Shinji screamed as a stray bullet tore past his upper arm, blood colored the LCL around him.

A rumble shook the hangar.

Unit 01's eyes blazed into life.

The soldiers on the catwalk froze in terror.

With a roar, Unit 01 tore off the restraint on its arm and swept the screaming soldiers from the catwalk with one powerful swipe. They were dead before they hit the LCL.

Shinji held his torn arm as he floated down in the LCL. _'Mother...'_

000

Lt. Yamazaki carefully edged towards the ruined door. It had been almost an hour since the last enemy charge and Col. Katsuragi had sent him to find out what was taking them so long. He looked back at the bridge area where everyone had their weapons pointed in his direction. He hoped no one will accidentally (or intentionally) shoot him. Takashi looked at the pistol in his hand and had a momentary sense of insecurity. He nervously looked away from the dead around his feet.

Takashi took a deep breath and then charged into the corridor outside the control theater. The NERV soldiers in the corpse-littered corridor froze for just a second before firing on him. Takashi screamed as he jumped back into the safety of the control theater.

Back in the corridor, an officer was shouting for the others to cease firing.

Takashi lay on his back on the blood drenched floor and gave his usual fox smile - the relief force had arrived.

000

_"Here," Allen grunted as he laid Juno on her bed. The girl had become docile after crying herself tired. "You have to rest y'know. No more early morning smokes, you hear."_

_"Since when did you became my mother?" the girl sullenly replied._

_The boy was taken aback by her harsh comment. "Look, I'm just worried about you! You're the only friend I have left - if you can't understand that -- well, FINE!!"_

_He turned to leave but Juno caught his wrist in a strong grip._

_"Hey!?"_

_The girl looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. "Please... don't leave me..."_

"That was a bit harsh," the gray haired boy remarked. "You shouldn't have made her remember that."

"I told you I would release her and I kept my word. You feel too much for the Lilim," Shitou replied. "They capture you, use you, corrupt you, make a mockery of you, and yet you sympathize with them."

"So do you." The gray haired boy smiled.

Shitou smiled in return, "Ah, yes. But at least in my case, it is my nature. Go, take her before I change my mind."

000

Unit 14 stood vigil over its silent siblings. In the entry plug, Rei Ayanami waited with saintly calm, the demonic rage of earlier no longer evident. She cannot fight the enemy this time. For this time, her true self will not allow it. The young woman was paralyzed.

_'it is all for the best. they shall prevail. or be destroyed.'_

Rei leaned back on her seat and released the tears in her eyes.

000

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Misato said as she led the surviving NERV personnel to the backup control room. There was no hurry as reports indicate that their soldiers were winning - and there was nothing they can do about the Angel except to trust the Children. "The Dead Sea Scrolls foretold of another Messiah if the first one fails, and this Messiah will not fail?"

"Correct, the Messiah of Joshua will not fail, because if it does and Humanity does not ascend, Humanity will be destroyed - judged unworthy of existence." Col. Makoto Hyuga pressed a bloody rag to his forehead - Misato had knocked him out in order to save him from doing something heroic - or stupid. "This final Angel will release enough energy to start Third Impact, it will be up to the Messiah to use the released energy to force Instrumentality or Complementation."

Misato turned to face Makoto. "Evolution or Rebirth. But both will end with the destruction of the world as we know it."

"That is so." Everybody froze. Ritsuko stood in front of the closed doors of the backup control room. "But Humanity's greatest strength is to find another way."

An uncomfortable silence. Misato paled at the lack of hostility from the friend she had betrayed. Several NERV soldiers nervously fingered the triggers of their weapons. Only a blessed few knew nothing.

Ritsuko smiled as if pleased at the discomfort her presence had inspired. "Welcome home."

The door behind her slid open.

000

_"During the Eighteenth Incident, after Section Two destroyed itself, I took it upon myself to find the field command center and destroy it." Santiago calmly looked at the boy who stood opposite him, the wide commander's table separated them. "I really didn't expect your mother to be commanding from the field. She should have commanded from the Beijing Branch. She was naïve to believe in exposing herself to the dangers her people were facing. She refused to surrender."_

_"So you killed her," Allen remarked coldly._

_Santiago remained silent._

_"Not only did you abandon us... you also took her from me..."_

_Santiago stood up._

_Allen fired the gun in his hand._

**WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL HIM**

"BECAUSE! Because he's my father..." In the middle of almost total darkness, Allen sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He wore his NERV pilot's uniform. The boy's hands gripped the seat of the folding chair, his nails dug into the hard wood.

**WAS HE?**

"YES!! I know it!"

**HE DIDN'T TREAT YOU LIKE A SON**

"... he's still my father..."

**YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR MOTHER**

Allen sobbed.

As the boy's tears dropped onto his white trousers, an Angel stood behind him and watched in sympathy. Shitou didn't feel any satisfaction in what he just did.

Or what he was about to do.

000

Juno cried to herself, her long red tresses were in disarray. Red welts were visible on her neck and arms. The young ten year-old girl had been beaten, her heart crying out to anyone who would hear.

But there was no one to hear the plea of the child.

No mother.

No father.

No God.

No guardian angel.

"Juno..." The young girl looked up at a gray haired young man who had called her name. He had red, compassionate eyes. "Juno, it's only a dream. Everything's fine now."

"Are you my guardian angel?" the little girl whispered through her ragged bangs which hid her face.

"Yes." The young man extended a hand to Juno.

"Henri, it's you isn't it? You've changed but I still know you."

The young man nodded. It was one of the names the Lilim had given him. Juno looked at Henri. He was taken aback by the fire of anger in Juno's eyes. He cried out in pain as a red line of blood was drawn across his chest by the kitchen knife in Juno's hand.

"As a guardian angel, you're a fuck-up!" Juno spat out as a mad glint came to her eyes. "I just remembered something. Something so fucking hideous that they had to brainwash me. You see, I don't have an aunt." An insane grin on Juno's pretty face - the familiar face of the fourteen year old tomboy with short red hair was twisted by unfamiliar madness. "Not anymore. It was so much fucking fun, cutting her up into itsy bitsy little bitch pieces. It was a fucking turn on to hear her scream!"

Henri took a step back but came up against a wall of energy. His brow knitted in consternation.

"Now back to business, you little twerp of a guardian angel. You see, I've been a very bad girl," Juno cackled. "It's all because of you. Yes, you. You weren't there to look over my shoulder and tell me to be a good little angel." Juno clucked her tongue and wagged her finger at Henri. "I've killed several more people since you went away. And I've even had my brains fucked out by our good little soldier boy!" The girl made a happy pirouette. "Gee, I never thought it could be so much fun! I should have done it sooner!"

Henri looked sadly at Juno.

"Aw, don't be disappointed in me, my dear Henri. It's your fault I'm like this." Tears began streaming down the teenaged Juno's face. "You chose to save Allen first. So He got to me. He did stuff to me. Opening doors in my mind I wished were never there."

Henri nearly let his guard down.

"The Juno you knew is no more," Juno glared. "It's now time to show you how displeased I am."

000

Yuri sat alone under the tree. Tears streaked down her cheeks. She was crying, but she didn't know why.

000

In the chapel, Shitou sat with his head bowed, his hands clasped in prayer.

000

Asuka blinked awake at the recorded tune of the garbage truck.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the queen-sized bed. "That was one weird dream..."

"MOOMMMEEEE!!"

Asuka had no time to scream as a small bundle of energy knocked her off the bed and onto the floor in a tangle of sheets and limbs.

She looked up into the face of a little girl with deep blue eyes and a fiery mane of red hair. The little girl giggled as she brought up a stuffed monkey doll to Asuka's face. "Good morning, Mommy! Saru-chan's hungry!"

Asuka frowned at the little girl. "Kyoko! How many times have I told you not to jump on the bed? You have to be punished!" Kyoko trembled and tried to run away but Asuka quickly grabbed her and started to tickle the little girl silly.

A fully grown woman now, Asuka carried her giggling little girl in her arms and gently sang to the child as they took a bath together. The little girl was deeply devoted to her mother, a devotion second to none except for one other.

Later as Kyoko ate and Asuka flipped pancakes, the little girl suddenly froze and cocked her head to a side - intense concentration on her face.

Asuka looked at her child in expectation, "Is it Daddy?"

Then Asuka heard it - the roar of a powerful motorcycle engine. She grimaced.

"Nope, it's Auntie Rei!!" Kyoko replied happily as she jumped off her seat to open the door even before the doorbell rang.

"Good morning!" Rei exclaimed as she entered the foyer and laid her helmet on a table with her left hand and then used the same arm to hug the child to her.

"Morning, Rei," Asuka greeted her guest who looked the very definition of what was commonly called a 'yankee' or a member of a biker gang. Tight pants, boots, and a leather flight jacket. Asuka knew the woman had been rather wild during high school and was rather thankful that this was Rei's recreational outfit rather than her professional one.

"Is that all? Gee, you could have added a little more pep y'know," Rei remarked dryly. She handed Asuka a bottle of champagne. "He's coming back today, so I thought the two of you could use something. Brings back memories I'd say." Rei's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"T-thanks," Asuka mumbled as she blushed. Rei may think it was because of embarrassment but rather it was shame.

"Hey, do I smell pancakes?!" Rei asked and thus breaking the tension that was starting to build up.

"Yes! Me and Mommy made them!" Kyoko proclaimed as she raised up her monkey doll. "Saru-chan also helped!"

Rei stood by the doorway, Kyoko sat in the sidecar of Rei's motorcycle, the child's head was encased by a helmet too large for her. She wore her father's flight jacket and had her arms wrapped around her monkey - all in all too cute for words. The little girl turned to face her mother and waved a tiny hand. Asuka waved back.

"Don't worry, I'll get her back to you in one piece after one week," Rei grinned.

Asuka watched Rei ride off with her darling daughter.

Asuka sighed as she leaned back against her closed front door. She felt selfish for sending away her daughter so she could spend some quality time alone with her husband.

Selfish. Yes, that word suited her well. She wondered if she would be so insecure of his affection if she hadn't gotten him drunk and then seduced him right after graduating from high school.

Maybe she didn't deserve him.

She had to trick him into being with her, she used his sense of honor and responsibility against him. She had been so afraid that all he saw in her was a bestfriend and not a girlfriend. It was a matter of control, a way of twisting him to her wishes. She had been adamant almost obsessed with having him under her control ever since they were children.

She didn't really plan on being married so early, just to cement their bond - to have something over him. Then she got pregnant. Everybody had been disappointed in Shinji. No one had blamed her. She saw how much it pained him and she wanted to cry out that it was all her fault - but Shinji stopped her, ordering her that it was better this way. Asuka felt unable to challenge him.

She was married to him because they did not want their child to be ostracized for being a bastard. Their daughter had been raised in a loving environment. Asuka had no doubt that Shinji loved and treasured the child.

But what about her?

Did he really love her? Did he just return to the house to see his daughter? What did he do during the frequent out of town trips? What if...

Asuka didn't notice when she started crying, just the realization that the wetness on her cheeks were tears.

She raised a hand to brush away the sadness.

The doorbell rang.

000

Asuka sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. She was in the middle of her old middle school's gymnasium. She wore her old white and green uniform. Her eyes contained shock. "What was that?!"

"A vision. A dream. A possible future without EVA. A thing to show us that we could live without our so-called salvation."

Asuka looked over her shoulder. Shinji stood behind her in his plugsuit.

"It's time to come back Asuka."

"Come back to what?"

"To reality. Our reality of EVAs and Angels."

Asuka clenched her fists in her lap. "I can't come back."

"Why?"

"Because I'm unclean, I'm a slut, I'm a bitch. Toji was right - I'm a demon! I can't go back because everyone hates me and I hate everyone! No one loves me!" Asuka sobbed. "...not even you. You just used me and went away. If you loved me, you would have stayed. But you ran away... you ran away..."

"I couldn't stay because it hurt so much to see you after what I did," Shinji bowed his head in shame. "Do you hate me, Asuka?"

Asuka didn't answer. Shinji reached out to touch her shoulder but the girl flinched away. The boy bit his lower lip and withdrew his hand.

"I hated myself. For a very long time I hated myself. It hurt being away from others. Especially you. I tried to tell myself that I didn't want to come back. But I was lying to myself. I wanted to come back even if it was just to catch a glimpse of you. But I couldn't even gain the courage to do it. I was afraid!"

"You've got nothing to be afraid of or sorry about. We're even now. Just leave me alone."

"NO!!" Asuka flinched at the tortured cry. "I ran away more than once. Never again. I want you - all of you. But I can't have you - I'm not worthy of you. I can't leave you and I won't. It's pure torture being away from you but it also hurts to be so near. But as long as you're the one doing the hurting..." Shinji swallowed the lump in his throat. He formed the words that he had so much difficulty saying two years ago. "I - I love you Asuka!"

Unbearable silence.

Then.

Asuka's shoulders trembled. Shinji heard the giggle that she had been suppressing.

"Asuka?" Worry tinged his voice. Madness had already overcome her once...

Asuka stood and walked towards Shinji. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes with the heel of her palm. "Stupid Shinji. One of the things I love about you is that you bring a smile to my face."

As they came face to face, Shinji was acutely aware that she was nearly an inch taller than he was.

"I am yours," her hands gently caressed his cheeks. "If you are mine..."

He was going to ask her what she meant but her lips covered his.

000

"Ah! It's nearly over," Shitou remarked in amusement as he sat on his side of the train car. The familiar amber light of the afternoon filtered through the windows.

Toji sat morosely opposite the Angel. "I'm tired," Toji stated flatly as he leaned back till his head rested on the window pane.

"I know," Shitou answered simply. Did he feel regret? Surely, he couldn't.

"She's gone isn't she?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." And he truly was. Because it was his nature.

"It's all right. I know she's also tired."

"Then, you won't go back?" Shitou asked with a sad smile on his face.

"We were going to name her Hikaru," Toji whispered as a tear slid down his cheek. Shitou watched as the glistening teardrop fell like a star to the floor of the train car.

000

"No!" Rei gasped as she felt a stab in her heart. She turned her head to look at Toji's EVA.

With a shrill scream, Toji's Unit 20's organic parts began to liquefy and seep through the seams of the armor. Like a wax model melting under the hot sun - the EVA began to crumble. In moments, the empty shell caved into itself.

Another had fallen.

With a roar, like a child ripped from the comfort of the womb into the harshness of the cruel world, Yuri was reunited with her EVA. The girl wailed at the emptiness she felt in her heart. But now she knew why she was crying.

Rei blinked the tears from her eyes. "We must finish it."

000

"Final connection!" Chief Engineer Sara McDougal reported as she taped together the exposed cables from the MAGI Caspar and the data feed for the secondary command center. Not something she would ordinarily do by herself. But she was short-handed - especially since her beloved Engineering department had only one survivor: her. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her gloved hand.

She gave Dr. Ritsuko Akagi the thumbs up.

Ritsuko nodded from where she sat on a crate in a corner of the hidden storage facility. "AT Field sensors online in three... two... one..."

000

"Angel located! Target is in the Main EVA Hangar!" Lt. Kano reported from her new seat in the Secondary Command Center. Everyone felt relief that they had moved several levels below the Main EVA Hangar. "It's in Unit 30! S2 engine detected!" Relief turned to distress.

"OH, MY GOD!!" Lt. Miyuki screamed over the muffled roar that shook the whole geofront. "Angel is eating Unit 32!"

"Status of other Evangelions?" Misato commanded.

000

"Yuriko, prepare for battle."  Rei's image on the screen was worried. She could not begin to imagine the pain the young girl was going through, but something important was about to happen.

Yuriko continued sobbing, her tears indistinguishable from the LCL.

The geofront's roof bulged down before disintegrating in a wave of fire that cascaded into the forested park. The pyramid became scorched, its edges melted, but the structure held and did not collapse into itself.

The two Evangelions stood in the middle of the inferno. The clear blue sky above them - two demons in the pits of Hell looking up at the forbidden Heaven.

And then the hail of missiles came.

000

Warmth.

Comforting warmth.

She had felt the numbing coldness of loneliness.

She had thought she was content with having the things he had left behind. His shirt. His bed. His locker. His old, broken-down SDAT player. Snippets from surveillance videos. She even had one of his old plugsuits.

Like him, she had been afraid.

She could have easily chased after him but she had hidden behind her duty. She could have had the real thing instead of artificial replacements.

She regretted the time wasted with running away from each other.

But now, she had him.

She will never let go.

Asuka gasped as she came to inside an EVA. It wasn't hers and for some odd reason, it smelled like Shinji. "Unit 01..." She noticed that her plugsuit-clad body was cradled against that of another.

"Yes," the young man replied, a frown on his face. His strong arms protectively embraced the young woman on his lap.

Asuka wondered why Shinji's voice was so cold - hadn't they just shared a tender moment? And then she saw the thing that faced Unit 01. The thing that was awash with the blood and ruin of Unit 32.

A small screen came to life before them.

"Tell me, Ikari," their enemy looked at them with cold, calculating eyes. Ebony eyes which locked upon azure eyes. "Can you take my life?"

A contest of wills which Shinji must lose. The pilot avoided the enemy's eyes, knowing fully well that he cannot commit murder upon the other.

And Juno smiled in triumph.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:  
Shitou: In the heart of Tokyo-3 the Truth shall be revealed. Is this reality or a dream within a dream? Heaven and Hell 2:0 - Air.

Original Author's Notes:  
Sorry for the long delay. The next episode is 95percent finished and it's already at 30pages of plain text. /Shudder/ I'll probably finish it by mid September.


	20. Air

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 2:0 - Air

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 2:0 - Air**

Shinji felt the tight knot of fear in his chest as he looked at his enemy.

His enemy.

How ironic that the enemy was someone he could not fight.

Even for the woman he loves, he cannot harm another person. It was not within him to willingly harm others. He was too self-sacrificing. Even if he hated pain, he would take it upon himself rather than give it to others.

His arms instinctively wrapped around the warm body snuggled against him. He tried to draw strength from her. He needed every ounce of courage he could gather.

He looked away from the eyes boring into his.

"Tell me, Ikari," their enemy looked at them with cold, calculating eyes. "Can you take my life?"

And Juno smiled in triumph.

000

**NERV-1**

**Terminal Dogma**

Santiago knelt by the edge of the causeway before the captured Angel. His head was bowed, as if he was offering a prayer to the white being impaled upon the giant cross by the false Lance of Longinus. Under him, the sacred pool of Angelic blood was corrupted by the corpses of dozens of men - unintended sacrifices to their Causes.

"Commander Santiago?"

Santiago opened his eyes at the voice. His contemplation interrupted by his co-conspirator.

"What is it Shigeru?" Santiago slowly drew himself up to his full height. He slowly dusted off the knees of his pants, as if carefully giving consideration to each movement he made. The man's black uniform was pristine except for a small tear at the shoulder. The dried blood was invisible on the black cloth.

Far above their heads came the muted sounds of explosions.

Section Two Director Shigeru Aoba took off his dark glasses and tucked them inside his suit. "We got word that the Committee has moved. They have breached all thirty armored layers with N2 mines. Missile bombardment has already begun, Unit 14's AT Field is the only thing protecting Central Dogma. As we predicted, one of the pilots had Fallen."

Santiago's breath caught painfully in his chest. "Who is it?"

"Hurst." Shigeru saw the faint, almost invisible signs of relief spread on Santiago's face. "I just turned up her records. It had been heavily tampered with. The Committee sent her."

"I see. The final phase of the first stage," Santiago's eyes stared faraway as if he was seeing something beyond the darkness. "And all that we lack is the Messiah. You know what to do." He began coughing up blood. He tried not to think of the coming slaughter as he sank to his knees.

000

The darkness was chased away by the light spilling in from the newly opened doors of the prison.

Lt. Corrie Hayes covered his eyes with his hands and squinted at the silhouette standing by the doorway. "Well, do I get shot now?"

The spy was surprised when a pistol was offered to him. Corrie looked suspiciously at the man in black by the door. Will he be shot when he takes the pistol or was he being told to shoot himself?

Corrie looked at the offered weapon. _'Traitors always get their just deserts'._ The light glinted dully off the dark metal of the gun. _'Judas and his silver,'_ the ex-priest sighed. _'Today is another day of betrayal.'_ He closed his eyes as he felt the cold steel against his palm.

000

**Mega Depth Shelter 89**

**NERV-1**

"Sir, the enemy is here," Lt. Yamazaki said through the oxygen mask he wore as he nervously fiddled with the shoulder strap of his rifle. There was a risk that there were still enemy stragglers this deep in Central Dogma but Col. Hyuga could no longer contain the worry he had for his family - worry that had intensified when the two men were greeted with the hot, dead air of the lower facilities.

The other reason Takashi was nervous was because of the dead bodies that littered the floor of the shelter he and the Colonel were in. Being around dead bodies reminded him of the day he lost his loved ones - a day of fire and water so long ago. "We have to return to the command center, Sir." The Lieutenant was thankful his voice didn't break.

Makoto silently knelt on the floor, his arms cradled his wife and baby daughter. The shelter they were in had ran out of oxygen when the power to the ventilators had been cut. He was the one who had commanded the death of his family - a sacrifice for the better good. A long, drawn-out, agonizing sacrifice.

Only if he didn't had to make such a decision.

"Did you know? I always thought I wanted something else - to be happy in the arms of another. And yet now, I finally realized that I already had what I wanted." Makoto gently kissed his wife's forehead. A hand lovingly caressed the lifeless face of the woman he finally realized he had grown to love with all his heart. "Don't you think that it's sad that people never appreciate what they have until it's taken from them?" Makoto's hand reached inside his tunic, he felt the jewelry case that contained the peace offering he had bought after he had decided to make up with his wife. "Lieutenant, you have to go back - they're going to need everybody. Complementation or Instrumentality, there are only two choices left - I don't care anymore which one. Just make sure that Ascension fails."

"Sir?" Before Takashi could move, the gunshot was fired. The Lieutenant just stared slack-jawed at what had just occurred. He finally cursed under his breath and decided to return to the command center - alone.

000

**NERV-1 Secondary Control Center**

"Ayanami is ready to engage enemy forces! Suzuhara and Alleyn synchs are below combat requirement - EVAs immobile! Soryu is inside Unit 01 with Ikari! Unit 02 is being remotely prepped!" Miyuki ticked off, glad that the activity of survival was taking her mind off the pain in her chest. "We have lost contact with Unit 30's entry plug! We have no data on Hurst!"

"Sixty bandits counted topside! ETA in two minutes! Unit 01 is still partially restrained and submerged in the LCL Cooling Pool! We don't have the power to remove the restraints! They'll have to remove it manually!" Kano added.

Misato had a tight smile on her face. Her Children had returned. Now to make sure she kept them.

000

Lt. Corrie Hayes ran to the ladders and tried to ignore the fear clouding his mind. Misato had greeted him almost coldly but without hostility when he reported for duty. Didn't she know he had betrayed them? It seemed so. If so, what else did the Colonel did not know?

Did it matter? No. Only the present matters. Corrie started to climb the central hydraulics control tower for the EVA cages.

_'Why am I doing this?. Damnit, Judas was nothing compared to me. I've betrayed the Church, NERV, and now the Sword of God. Some sins are forgivable - Necessary Evils. That is the only hope I have for Salvation.'_

Corrie paused in his climb as the Main EVA Hangar shook when Juno's Unit 30 roared. There are very few things as scary as being caught in an EVA's AT Field - a sense of inescapable horror that seeps to the very core. Corrie could do nothing but look on, his eyes wide with terror as the EVA's bindings began to fall off as its body began increasing in size.

With great effort, Corrie tore his eyes away from the sight of the EVA ascending to its full potential. He had work to do - he will raise arms against God's messengers once more. _'Azazel must be defeated. That is the only way. May God forgive me.'_

"I'm going to run out there and into my EVA!?" Asuka exclaimed in disbelief after hearing Misato's orders.

"Yes. Shinji would provide you with cover. You both have to attack while its metamorphosis is still incomplete!" Misato had on her official face - the one Shinji finds scary. "Caspar estimates we have four minutes before the Angel reaches its full potential. We can't read the entryplug but there's a chance Juno is in there so be careful!"

Asuka felt Shinji tense up under her and she decided to speak for the both of them. "Misato, she just threatened to kill us. Something's wrong with Juno! I think she's been corrupted or something!"

Misato felt a chill run down her spine. "Then we'll have to risk it. Our priority is to destroy that Angel."

Asuka couldn't believe what she just heard. "But-"

"Our first priority is to destroy that Angel." Misato reiterated. Unknown to both Children she had balled her fists so tightly that her nails had dug into her palms, causing her palms to bleed.

"I can't do that! She's... she's one of us..." Shinji trailed off, unwilling to participate in the coming murder. His eyes were still locked onto his EVA's monitors. The Angel was trying to rip off its head armor.

"Shinji..." Asuka pulled Shinji's head against her chest and murmured softly to him. "I know... we'll find a way." The familiar sense of oneness washed over them. Perfect synchronicity. Asuka let go of him and laid her hands on Shinji's on the control sticks.

Muffled gunshots were heard.

Misato looked to a side, listening to someone the Children couldn't hear. "GO! Lt. Hayes just shot the hydraulic feed to the umbilical bridge! You can move it now!"

"GO!" Both pilots screamed with Unit 01's roar. Before the Angel could react, Unit 01 pushed the forward section of its cage forward in a spray of LCL, tearing it off its railways and slamming the heavy construct against the EVA-Angel hybrid. The entry plug shot out of Unit 01 as the Angel crumpled under the heavy debris.

"Cover me!" Asuka rolled out of the entry plug and crouched on the catwalk.

"Roger!" Shinji said as he retracted the plug into the EVA as the Angel shook off the ruined cage.

The Angel stood, its head armor finally removed. The Angel blinked its two green eyes, and more than a dozen smaller green eyes winked into existence all over its head. The Angel's gray tongue licked the wicked looking teeth of its drooling jaw.

The Angel waited.

Asuka stood frozen by fear.

LCL sprayed into the air and washed over the floor as Unit 01 catapulted itself from its cooling pool - right against the larger Unit 30 - knocking even more bindings off the corrupted EVA.

The AT Field released its hold on Asuka and she began running for her EVA as the two titans grappled in the confined space.

000

Pilot Naota Nandaba looked down at the large crater which used to be Tokyo-3. The young pilot wondered how the commander of NERV-1 could have betrayed his whole command to the Sword of God. The UN had to send in all the remaining EVAs to destroy NERV-1's powerful Evangelion fleet and secure Adam before the enemy could use it to initiate Third Impact.

Naota felt fear as his fully armed winged EVA flew directly over the crater that led into the geofront. Dozens of EVAs flew in formation behind him, but even their presence did not dull the fear in his heart. Two of his friends had died in Brazil and the boy wondered if he was going to share their fate. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he remembered a girl in his apartment building. For a long time he had admired her from afar. _'Maybe I should have told her—'_

"WARNING!! INCOMING!!"

Naota screamed as he saw the blue EVA coming up towards him.

000

Yuriko slumped back against the seat of her entry plug. The girl's eyes stared blankly at her monitors. She blinked as a red spot appeared in the middle of her monitor. Slowly, the red spot slid downwards, leaving a crimson trail.

More spots appeared.

Unit 40's eyes glowed and it moved. Its hands slowly rose and turned its palms up - like a small child caught in the wonder of a light spring rain.

"See Yuri, there's nothing to be afraid of," her brother soothingly said to her as he gently pulled her out of the dry safety of the house and into the cool drizzle. She had started giggling at the tickling sensation of the raindrops falling over her. She looked back at the house's doorway where her mother, father, and grandfather sat, happily watching the young siblings play in the rain.

She was three years old then. It was her first memory of rain.

But then rain was not red.

A gigantic severed arm crashed into the smoldering splinters of the forest. The little girl's eyes shot wide open. Yuriko screamed in rage as she awakened from her catatonic state.

EVAs began to land around her. Each EVA tucked its wings into its body as each deployed its weapons - a collection of rifles, lances, and knives.

Unit 40's armored jaw case broke open with a bestial roar. The EVA's surging AT Field distorted the light around it. With practiced grace the lance unfolded from the back carrier and landed in the EVA's waiting hands.

"Fifteen," the little girl licked her lips in bloodlust as her EVA twirled the lance in one hand. "Don't think so little of me, because I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!!" the girl screamed as she rushed the waiting UN EVAs.

000

Lt. Takashi Yamazaki nervously unwrapped a stick of gum and placed it in his mouth as he made his way back towards the control center. The man was a Section Two agent and yet the events of the day were able to shake him to his core. It was probably due to the knowledge that he was among the less than one percent of the fortress city's population to be still alive. That and the knowledge that he was at the brink of the destruction of the world.

From the other end of the corridor came a muted explosion that surprised the spy and made him choke on his gum. The NERV officer quickly spat out his gum before looking up to where smoke was pouring into the corridor. He swung his rifle off from where it hung from its shoulder strap.

"You guys are early," he said with his usual fox grin.

000

Allen just looked on limply as Juno's Unit 30 smashed Unit 01's head into the hangar's wall. The boy instinctively knew that he was going to die and that he should be very afraid. But he was not scared. More to the point, he did not care.

He was a failure.

An embarrassment.

A tear slid down the boy's cheek as he wished for the mother whom he had betrayed.

The Angel lifted the stunned Unit 01 by the neck and threw it towards Unit 02's cage.

Unit 02's cage shook as Unit 01 crashed into it. Asuka screamed as she lost her grip on the ladder she was climbing up her EVA's cage. The Pilot fell several feet before she grabbed hold of a rung, slamming her body painfully against the ladder but saving her life.

"Asuka!" Shinji screamed as he felt the young woman's cry. Before he could do anything, Unit 30's hands shot out, sending a wave of AT Field towards the purple beast and the caged red demon. Shinji's brow furrowed and he gritted his teeth - if he failed, Asuka would die.

Unit 01 spread its arms and AT Field as a shield. Everything between the combatants exploded as their AT Fields collided.

The Angel paused as a thick blanket of smoke and vaporized LCL from the cooling pool covered the area. Before the Angel could react, a large purple shape exploded from the fog and slammed against it.

"Misato!" Shinji cried out as he forced the Angel onto an elevator. He hoped Misato could get his message without further elaboration. He had to get the Angel away from Asuka!

The elevator platform shot up carrying both EVA and Angel. Shinji knew that NERV didn't have enough power to open any of the doors between the hangar and the surface - the pilot gritted his teeth as the larger and taller Angel smashed through the locked doors of the elevator shaft.

Asuka didn't resist as a hand helped her up to the platform of her EVA's entry plug. She took a short breather on the platform, her hand massaging her bruised chest. Corrie watched Asuka as the young woman contemplated the now silent hangar.

Asuka looked up at the dark shaft through which both EVA and Angel had been ejected through. "Lt. Hayes! Quick, help me open up my entry plug!" The redhead ran to her EVA.

Corrie looked on as the young woman rushed past him before he brought up his gun and lined up the sights of the pistol at the girl's back. His hand shook as he debated whether to kill her or not. Asuka never knew her life was in danger as she was too busy fiddling with the release on her entry plug.

He could probably redeem himself in the eyes of God if he killed this Abomination. As a priest he had been taught that Salvation comes to those who are willing to be forgiven. Just one small twitch of his finger... but then he was also taught that two wrongs never make a right.

With a resigned sigh, Corrie returned his pistol to its holster and hurried to assist the pilot.

000

Santiago sat on the floor of the causeway, his back against the guardrail as he looked up at the darkened ceiling. The man couldn't help but wonder why he was still alive. He could feel the bullet where it was lodged in his chest. Now and then he could feel it move, as if it was slowly making its way to his heart to kill him. Stupid ricochet. Why couldn't the bullet have just torn right through his body? God must really hate his ass right now to make him suffer so much.

Shigeru had already left to do his part. Santiago really felt bad. He had proven Akagi right - he was a traitor. But if it means redeeming himself, so be it. There were far more important things than honor. Besides, today was a day of betrayal.

Santiago gave a start and rolled to his feet as if his wound was inconsequential. He felt the bullet shift once more and the pain nearly forced him back to his knees. He clenched his teeth, his hand tightened nervously on the pistol grip of his rifle as he felt the familiar sensation of an AT Field wash over him.

He turned to face the open Heaven's Gate and began to scan the area. Not that he knew what to do if he actually found the source of the AT Field.

The area before him was empty.

A bead of sweat traveled down Santiago's face as he finally pinpointed the source of the AT Field. It was right behind him!

He whirled around and faced the captive Angel once more.

"Shit!" he exclaimed under his breath as the red shaft of the Lance of Longinus began to throb to the rhythm of a heartbeat.

000

Rei's Unit 14 landed on a damaged building which collapsed in a billowing cloud of smoke and debris under the tremendous falling mass of the mecha. Unit 14 stood up from the rubble, its AT Field scattered the dust cloud.

Rei surveyed her home. The city of tall, gleaming skyscrapers was gone. The beautiful lake and surrounding parks were gone. All that remained were the ruins surrounding a giant hole in the ground. So much like the last time.

She could feel the heaviness in the air, the dissonance in the harmony of Creation due to the violence and released energy of thousands of Souls. Rei wondered if the other Children could also feel it - the build up of potential energy as more Souls were freed from their mortal shells. The fuel to bring about the conflagration that could change Humanity or utterly destroy it.

EVAs began to circle above her - the pilots were smart enough to know that hand-to-hand combat was not a good tactic against someone of her level. Several of their comrades had been destroyed in mid-air by the blue behemoth.

Rei looked up at the scared Children flying above her. She did not want to continue the slaughter.

_'we have no choice. there is only our purpose.'_

Unit 14 once more leapt into the air as positron shells arced down to meet it.

000

"Allen..." a soothing feminine voice.

The boy sniffled as he raised his head just a tiny bit. Was he hearing things? His eyes grew wide and moist as he saw his mother kneeling in the cramped space beside him inside his EVA's entryplug.

"Baby, you've forgotten..." She touched his cheek, her warm hands bringing back fond childhood memories.

"M-mom!" Allen sat up straight and reached out towards her but she was beyond his reach. It was as if she was being pulled away, she was fading from his sight.

Alicia Alleyn smiled sadly at her son. "Be strong. If you're not, others will suffer." It was her old lesson.

"Mom..." The boy's hands gripped the control sticks tightly, his knuckles turned white from the effort. A resolute fire was in the boy's eyes as he accepted the new charge. He could feel his senses suddenly open up. Strength poured into him from an unknown source. "I will..."

The eyes of Allen's EVA began to glow white.

000

Yuri's EVA was as red as Unit 02. Blood and gore from her enemies covered the EVA. The young girl within did not care about the Children she had killed. They were enemies. Enemies must be killed without mercy - every last one of them. That was the only truth she acknowledged.

The child's eyes darted from side to side as she kept tabs on the remaining ten units surrounding her EVA.

There was a huge crashing noise as the corrupted Unit 30 and Unit 01 burst up from the hidden elevator shaft, several meters-thick armored door panels fell like confetti around the two.

Yuriko was far better than the Children opposing her - she was a genius, just like Kensuke and Shinji. While the other Children were still recovering from the shock of seeing the ashen-white sinewy flesh and tattered armored form of the Fallen EVA, Yuri ripped off the head of one of them.

The UN EVAs wavered as Yuri resumed her murderous rampage in their ranks. Like a well trained dancer, the little girl's EVA hacked through her enemies with abandon. She thrust her lance clean through an EVA - making sure her attack ran through the entry plug and the Children within. With Yuri's lance trapped in the dead mecha, three UN EVAs tried to use the opportunity to attack. The young ace pilot grinned as she used the long shaft like a slingshot pole as she catapulted the corpse on the other end at one of her attackers.

Yuri threw her freed spear at one of the charging EVAs, running it right through the core, and stepped into the path of the other one, grabbed its outstretched knife hand and slammed the EVA into the ground with a shoulder throw. A quick kick to the head splattered EVA brains across the forest floor and instantly killed the Children within its heart.

Three down. Seven to go.

A smile of joy was on the little girl's face as she faced the remaining enemy.

000

The Angel kicked Shinji off, launching the boy against the battered pyramid. The Angel raised its right arm and it warped into a long edged blade. With drool flying off its open maw, the Angel pounced on Unit 01.

The Angel reeled back as a red blur body-slammed it and interspersed itself between the Angel and Shinji. A two-handed push sent the off-balanced Angel flying into the surrounding forest.

"Asuka!" Shinji was very happy to see her.

"Don't tell me you miss me already," Asuka grinned at him from a mini-screen. She became serious as she watched Unit 30 pick itself up from the forest floor. "We'll have to try and get her entry plug out of the EVA! We have to separate Juno from her corrupted EVA!"

"Won't that hurt her?" Shinji was worried about harming Juno - he knew the mental damage brought by just ripping out a plug from an EVA.

"We'll have to risk it! It her or us," Asuka mumbled. She wasn't close to Juno, but she still considered the girl a friend. It wasn't Juno's fault her EVA was corrupted! "She'll be back to normal once we get her out of her EVA!" At least she hoped.

Shinji's hands shook on his control sticks. Risks. His eyes darted between Asuka's image on his monitor and the hulking white form of the Angel. He cannot fail her again! Shinji frowned and then launched himself past Asuka.

000

Yuri's EVA froze after dealing a hand chop that had taken off the final UN EVA's head. She watched in awe as the purple demon dodged the sword arm of the Angel and spun to hit the Angel in the face with an elbow. As the Angel fell, Asuka's four-eyed red giant rushed forward and made a spinning kick which knocked the Angel further back. Unit 01 and 02 jumped into the air, their gigantic forms spinning like tops until they finally came back down in a twin kick that the Angel easily dodged. The two EVAs' landing sent up a large dust cloud which they used to cover their retreat as the Angel's AT Field sliced through the area. The attack might have failed but the highly synchronized attack was not something any other pair of pilots could have imitated.

The girl's eyes flickered to the destroyed EVA around her. Content that they were no threat, she charged her EVA at the Angel, her lance ready to deal more death. It didn't matter that it was Juno's EVA and that Juno may be inside. The young girl never even considered that! It was an enemy. Enemies must be destroyed!

Yuri cried out as pain shot from her side, her hand left the control stick and pressed against her belly. She looked down and saw the Lance sticking from her EVA's side. A red shaft with two twisting prongs. The girl's eyes shot wide open as her other hand covered her mouth as she coughed. Red tinted the liquid around her. "NO!!"

000

Tears flowed from Rei's eyes as her EVA stood amidst the carnage above ground. She pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes.

The slaughter was over. The sky was red with fire and empty of flying monstrosities.

How many more shall fall?

000

Asuka and Shinji paused in their assault as Yuri's EVA exploded in mid-air in a fine spray of LCL. The Lovers' jaws hung in horror as the EVA that had attacked Yuri stood up and flicked the gore from the prongs of the Lance of Longinus with a mighty swing.

"I will not let you harm her," Allen whispered with bowed head. The boy slowly raised his head, his eyes ablaze with determination. "I failed my Mother. I will not fail Juno!"

000

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!" Misato screamed in frustration as Allen swung the Lance of Longinus at Shinji. She couldn't believe that the children she considered her sons were doing their best to kill each other. "STOP IT!! PLEASE STOP IT!!" She banged her hands on the surface of the workstation in front of her in anger.

The control officers looked at Misato, no one knew what to do.

Misato shook her head, the tears flew from her eyes. "EJECT UNIT 31 ENTRY PLUG!!" Misato ordered, the professional coldness once more in her tone. A lot of the technicians and control officers shuddered - Misato reminded them of Santiago, but for the few who were in NERV longer, she reminded them of another commander.

"No response! Unit 31 is rejecting all external commands!" Miyuki responded.

Misato gritted her teeth. "Self-destruct power relay to Unit 31."

Kano turned to Misato. "Cannot! We don't have a direct line to the secondary power plant from this center! If we do send it down, it will also shutdown Unit 02 and 14!"

"Give me an intercom line to the EVA Hangar."

"Done." Kano replied as she handed Misato a headset.

"Lt. Hayes, answer me," Misato said into the headset. Moments passed. She was going to repeat her order when the response came.

"Yes. Hayes here."

Misato almost sighed in relief. "I have a job for you."

000

"fuck." Yamazaki whispered through blood stained lips. He knew he was going to die as the image of the girl he loved knelt before him. She was frozen in time, on the day eighteen years ago when she was taken from him. She still wore the dark blue kimono she had been showing him the night it happened. Tears came to his eyes as the child caressed his cheeks. "chiharu-chan..."

He was gone when the black spheres bounced into the room he had retreated into.

000

"Do this. Do that." Corrie gave an exasperated sigh as he walked down a corridor. He cocked his head as he heard distant explosions. "Oh, great. As if things aren't already complicated."

000

"SHIT!" Asuka cried out as Unit 30's sword hand took off several layers from her EVA's chest armor. "FUCK YOU!" Unit 02's right fin snapped open and spikes shot out, hitting Unit 30's head and knocking the Angel off its feet and onto the scorched forest. Asuka froze after her mistake.

Shinji and Allen screamed in horror as Juno cried out in pain.

The eyes of Allen's EVA flared as he abandoned his attack against Shinji and thrust the Lance of Longinus at Asuka.

Time slowed as the prongs of the Lance twisted together into a single lethal tip.

The tip touched Unit 02's chest.

Unit 02 exploded in a wave of orange liquid.

"NOOO!!" Shinji screamed as Unit 01 deployed its knife and stabbed the back of Allen's Unit 31, lifting the EVA off its feet. The knife's blade broke at the hilt from the force of impact, the blade trapped within the mass of Allen's EVA. Unit 31 fell to its knees as Unit 01 stood triumphantly behind it.

Shinji's head was bowed as tears flowed from his eyes. He had willingly done harm to another. And worse, Asuka-

"Shinji!"

"...what??" Shinji looked up at the image on the monitor. "ASUKA!"

"Watch out you IDIOT!!" she screamed angrily at him.

Unit 01 jumped away from Allen's EVA as Allen swung the Lance at Shinji.

"You better not get yourself killed!" Asuka admonished, a frown on her face. The frown melted away and a longing smile formed. "You better not." The image disappeared.

Shinji scanned the area and saw Asuka's entry plug lying several kilometers away. He grinned in relief. She was safe. He returned his attention on his enemies.

000

"Unit 02's entry plug ejected on its own! Pilot lifesigns are stable!" Miyuki announced. "Unit 31's internal batteries have been destroyed! It will shut down immediately when the power station is destroyed!"

Misato's hand clenched around the crucifix hanging from her neck. _'God, please don't let anymore of my kids die.'_

000

Corrie panted as he rolled the final barrel of gasoline against the generator. Getting to the power plant hadn't been easy as the blood stains on his tan shirt attested. He turned and walked towards one of the black-clad UN soldiers he had killed. Corrie briefly wondered how a former priest could be so good at taking life.

He took a grenade from the soldier's pack and juggled it thoughtfully from hand to hand.

"Fuck it all."

000

Shinji gritted his teeth as his back slammed into the pyramid once more. Juno and Allen advanced towards him. Shinji threw his AT Field forward to distract them. Allen held up the Lance of Longinus' point towards Unit 01. The wave parted before the might of the Lance of Longinus and devastated the smoldering trees to either side of Unit 31.

"You cannot harm me, Ikari," Allen stated as he readied the Lance for a thrust.

A distant explosion.

"What the!! NOOOOO!!" Allen screamed as his Unit shut down, the entry plug fell into darkness. The Lance stopped in mid-thrust less than a meter from Unit 01's chest.

Shinji sighed in relief. Unit 01 blurred as the Angel crashed into the side of Central Dogma. The Angel's sword arm buried itself in the pyramid's side as Unit 01 landed several kilometers away.

"It's just you and me now," Juno said to Shinji as she licked her lips in anticipation, madness in her eyes. "Henri-- hehe. Sorry, I meant, Koworu sends his regards."

000

Misato and the other NERV personnel raised their hands in surrender as black-clad UN soldiers poured into the control center. Misato knew that her people were too tired and outnumbered, there was no point in resistance.

One of the NERV soldiers looked at Misato. Misato could see the fighting urge in the man's eyes. She shook her head slightly - she wanted to wait and get to the bottom of this. To her relief, the soldier nodded and signaled the others to wait.

000

"Lucky." Asuka muttered sarcastically as she came to a military Four Wheel Drive vehicle. It was riddled with bullets but looked serviceable. She dragged the dead NERV soldiers from the seats and then settled herself uncomfortably in the blood drenched driver's seat. The 4WD kept sputtering and backfiring as it rumbled down the highway towards the battered Central Dogma.

Now and then the silent figure of Unit 31 could be seen in the breaks in the wall of scorched trees. Asuka's grip on the wheel tightened at such instances as nervous sweat ran down her brow. She shook her head of memories she had always thought of as nightmares - Of white EVAs flying high, circling above a dying red beast impaled by spears.

The 4WD's wheels screeched as Asuka put the brakes to the floor. A line of black uniformed UN soldiers blocked the entryway into Central Dogma. She looked behind the 4WD and saw soldiers blocking her retreat.

"Pilot Soryu! Please come out with your hands up!"

Asuka frowned in annoyance.

000

A large explosion. Trees flew up followed by the purple Unit 01 and the white Unit 30. Unit 30 smacked down Unit 01 in mid flight. Unit 01 crashed on its back while Unit 30 stood straddling it. The Angel's bladed limb was held in Unit 01's bleeding hands, the tip almost touched the EVA's throat.

_'I won't win unless I fight to kill,'_ Shinji gritted his teeth in pain. _'There must be another way, I don't want to kill her! It's not her fault!'_

_"Shinji," the cold voice of Gendo Ikari came over the comm link. "Why don't you fight?"_

_"But there's a person inside, Father," Shinji squeaked out through the pain coursing over his body._

_"It doesn't matter. It's an Angel. Our Enemy."_

_"But I can't do it. I have to save him. I can't kill a person."_

_"You will die." It was a statement of truth._

_"I don't care. It's much better than killing someone." Another truth._

Shinji screamed as he kneed Unit 30 in the belly and then pushed the Angel away with a kick. He shook his head of the memory - in his battle against Toji's Unit 03, hesitation that cost his friend greatly. Shinji grabbed his control sticks. "There is no other way."

Unit 01 stood up while its enemy was busy regaining its balance. Two quick waves of its hands and the Angel's arms came flying off. Shinji screamed and Unit 01 blurred forward, its palms slid into Unit 30's chest like hot knives through butter. Shinji felt for the center of his enemy's consciousness and grabbed it with both hands, his arms buried to the elbows in the enemy's chest. "DIE!!" the boy screamed.

Unit 30 spasmed and then exploded in a spray of LCL and blood. Shinji panted in exertion but a relieved smile on his face. Held protectively in Unit 01's hands was Unit 30's blood washed entry plug.

In moments, Shinji ran and slid down Unit 01's arm towards the entry plug. He grabbed the emergency release handle, disregarding the hiss and the pain as the palms of his plugsuit melted from the high heat.

LCL spewed out of the entry plug as Shinji threw open the emergency hatch.

"Ms. Hurst!?" Shinji knelt half within the plug.

"I'm fine." Juno sat in the dark, her face clouded by the shadows. "You didn't kill me, Mr. Ikari."

Tears fell from Shinji's eyes, his head bowed in relief. "I'm glad."

"You shouldn't be." From the darkness, two pinpricks of red light glowed.

000

Shinji slowly opened his eyes. He heard screaming. Or was it crying? A small girl's voice.

"Welcome back, Mr. Ikari," Juno sat cross-legged by his side as he lay in a puddle of thick sticky liquid. The girl's ebony eyes were no longer filled with madness but they were cold and distant.

The familiar stink of blood. Shinji felt sick as he pulled himself to a sitting position. As he had guessed, he was in a shallow pool of blood that stretched off into the darkness around him.

The wailing sound was still in the air. Juno stared at something behind him. Shinji woodenly turned to face what was behind him. His eyes shot open as he saw something best left in those cheap, American slasher movies. A small girl jerking like a marionette played by a demented puppeteer. A flashing knife was in the child's hand. The child was astride the source of the blood on the floor, her knife slashed at the lifeless bodies with a frenzy. Shinji felt bile creep up his throat. The child enjoyed her deranged play.

"That's me," Juno calmly stated. "That's me. I'm a fucking murderer. I killed her because she was sleeping with the postman, the Bitch. She was so fucking high and mighty because she took care of me even if she didn't fucking want to. She rubbed it in my face that I had to be grateful and a good obedient little girl. She caned me and made me pray for my Soul's forgiveness whenever I made mistakes that all children made. She called me a dirty slut but she was a greater slut. Going to church like a saint but acted like a whore when no one's looking."

Shinji tore his eyes away from the carnage and looked at the girl by his side. Juno's eyes were full of hatred and sadness.

"I sent her to Hell Mr. Ikari. To fucking Hell where she belonged. Her and her fucking postman. I was eating her heart when the Marduk people came." A quirky smile was on the girl's lips. "The Juno you know was nothing more than a lie... I was a lie. A fucking lie so that they could use me in their plans. A puppet for them to play with. I've never even ridden a roller coaster. I've never been to an amusement park. I've never had any friends. I am a monster. The Angel showed me the truth. I'm nothing..."

Shinji stiffened as the girl slumped forward and buried her face against his chest. Her body shook as she cried. The young man wanted to recoil in disgust after what the girl had confessed. But... Shinji looked around.

He was in the familiar Nowhere of the Sea of Dirac. Inside an AT Field. He remembered the glowing red eyes, then the entry plug had dissolved around him and Juno. They had stood on Unit 01's upturned palm as the Lance of Longinus floated above them. The Lance liquefied and cascaded like a waterfall of blood over him and a cackling Juno.

Shinji knew where he was. In this place, he knew he had strength. The darkness retreated, replaced by the calming amber of the sunset. The blood became LCL, the comforting Water of Life. The horrific scene of murder simply disappeared

Tentatively, Shinji laid a comforting hand on Juno's shoulder. He closed his eyes and synchronized with the girl. He didn't know if it would work but if he could do it with Asuka... Shinji gently probed the girl's mind. He was almost repulsed by what he saw in Juno's mind - the abuse the girl had to live with each day. Pain and shame. And then the horror of her sin. "It's all right, Juno. You're not nothing. If anything, I'm a greater monster than you. It will be all right. Trust me. We'll get through this. Think of something else. Something that you want with all of your heart."

Juno shifted and gently but firmly forced her way into Shinji's lap to the young man's discomfort. Her head rested in the crook of his neck.

"Juno?" Shinji was horrified at the surface thoughts suddenly racing through the girl's mind. Flesh partaking of pleasure. Lustful hunger. He could feel her hands fumbling for the release of his plugsuit, her hot searching lips on his neck. "S-stop that..."

Juno pulled away, a mischievous smile was on her lips. "You told me to think of what I want." She released her plugsuit, the limp fabric cascaded off her bare shoulders. "Allen was inexperienced. You're not." Shinji felt the AT Field wrap around him as Juno's eyes began to glow red. Paralyzed, Shinji could do nothing as Juno licked his face and briefly forced her tongue between his lips.

Shinji knew that the thing before him was no longer Juno.

"Unite with me..."

_"Papa is an idiot."_

_Shinji slowly opened his eyes. His head hurt from the bright sunlight streaming in from the bedroom window. He could feel a dream slip away as the pain of a hangover made itself apparent._

_A small girl sat on his chest, her face looming over his. The girl had red hair done up with red ribbons, her yellow pajamas were decorated with penguins, her beautiful dark blue eyes shone with mirth._

_"Asuka?"__ Shinji cupped the little girl's cheeks in his large hands._

_The little girl giggled and hid her face behind a stuffed monkey. "Papa is an idiot. I'm Kyoko. Papa shouldn't drink. Papa gets funny when he drinks." The girl pouted cutely._

_"KYOKO-CHAN!__ IS THAT IDIOT UP YET?" a woman shouted in mock anger from somewhere in the house. A familiar, if more mature voice._

_"YES! MAMA, PAPA IS UP!" the little girl shouted in response._

_"Open the door, Honey. I'm bringing Idiot his breakfast."_

_Shinji sat up on the bed as Kyoko ran to the bedroom door and turned the knob._

_The bedroom door opened._

Shinji sat on a folding chair in the middle of a circle of light. He was in the middle of his old middle school's gymnasium. He wore his old white and black school uniform. His eyes contained shock. "What was that?!"

"You already know what it is."

Shinji turned and saw a man in black. The man contemplated the stuffed monkey he held in his hand. The light glinted off the man's red tinted glasses.

"What are you doing, Shinji?" Gendo asked, his eyes never leaving the toy he held. "She is lost. She is no longer the girl you knew."

"I can't kill her," Shinji bowed his head.

"You were like this with Suzuhara. I had to take the decision from you in order to save you and the world. You are being selfish again. Will you allow Soryu to die? Will you let your future die?"

"Shinji." The boy looked up at his father who now stood in front of him. "I was wrong to hold on to the past. I forgot a lesson that Yui tried to teach me. 'As long as you want to live, everywhere will become heaven.' Your mother used to say that." Gendo dropped the monkey on Shinji's lap. "I'm not asking you to bring Instrumentality or Complementation," Gendo tucked his hands into his trouser pockets. "All I'm asking is for you to decide for your future. Find your own happiness."

Shinji stood alone in the stifling darkness.

Had he seen his father's ghost or was that just a dream of the father he wanted? Shinji blinked. He could feel the darkness creeping up his legs and arms - the cold, deathly touch of nothingness as it ate him piece by piece.

"I've found you. Found you my little darling." Her laugh was horrible, cold and lacking mirth. "You should have killed me, Mr. Ikari. I hate being ignored! I hate being rejected!"

Shinji could feel Juno around him - her anger and hate evident. He remembered. He had pushed her away and slipped into the abyss of the dreaming world which was the Sea of Dirac. But she had found him.

Was she behind him, to his sides, in front? Or was she the darkness?

"You failed everyone when you didn't kill me. You couldn't even save me. How could you save Humanity?" She spat out in sad accusation.

The young man froze in horror at the truth behind those words.

"After I've killed you, what do you think will happen to everyone? To Misato? To Rei? To Asuka? They will also be returned to Nothing. You have sealed their fate."

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Shinji closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. His lips moved to form a single word. A word he used often.

He could hear the gurgling sound.

He could feel the desperate grip on his wrists.

He could taste the fear in the air.

He could smell the scent of blood.

Tears.

A hot stream of regret.

His arms ached.

His heart was heavy.

And the young man wondered.

Why?

Shinji opened his eyes. He stood on the upturned palm of Unit 01. The powerful muscles of his arms were tensed and his hands were wrapped around Juno's fragile neck.

She was no longer breathing. Her neck snapped by Shinji's inhuman might. And yet as her eyes glazed over in death, a grateful look was in them and a genuine smile was on her lips.

Juno had received Salvation.

To Be Continued

In the Final Episode of Heaven and Hell:

Misato: In the heart of Tokyo-3 the Truth shall be revealed. Is this reality or a dream within a dream? Heaven and Hell 2:1 - To Everything, An Ending.

Original Author's Notes:

I'm late. Not only that, but I had to cheat, separating this chapter into two chapters. Real life can be so unforgiving.

The lesson I learned from this is never to raise expectations.

The next and final episode will be posted as soon as I'm done with it.

Sorry for the delay.


	21. To Everything an Ending

Manga - Addicts Presents:  
Heaven and Hell  
Revelations 2:1 – To Everything an Ending

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

**Revelations 2:1**

**To **

**Everything**

**An**

**Ending**

In the middle of an endless pool of blood, a young man sat slumped on his knees. The sky was a light shade of orange, the air thick with the sickly sweet smell of death.

The young man's name is Shinji Ikari. He is the Key. Cradled in his arms was the mortal shell of one who had been Children.

Her name was Juno Hurst.

She had been a friend.

She had been an enemy.

She had been murdered.

Her killer embraced her like a mother would a beloved child.

As Shinji's tears fell upon Juno's pallid cheeks, he wondered at how peaceful she looked.

He envied her.

A short distance away a young girl, with flaming red hair and eyes as blue as the sea, looked upon the grim scene. The child hugged a monkey doll to her chest.

000

"Asuka?" Misato worriedly knelt by her ward who sat alone in the corner of the storage room that their captors had turned into a make-shift prison.

Asuka had been silently staring off into nothing for the past hour and that in itself was unnatural for the fiery young woman. Asuka slowly came out of her trance and looked at Misato with thoughtful eyes.

"What is it Misato?" Asuka asked in a calm, almost detached tone.

"Are you all right?"

"Un," Asuka replied with a slow nod. "I was just thinking."

Misato gave a relieved smile. "About what?"

Asuka gave a shudder as she remembered - EVAs descending like white vultures. She could remember the pain of being ripped apart by blades that cannot be stopped. A hand went to the eye she had remembered to have been torn out. "What if I've died and all of this is just a dream?"

Misato drew back in fear and confusion.

Slowly, Asuka's eyes gained a faraway look. Her voice lacked her usual fiery conviction. "Maybe I did die a long time ago... if so, this is not heaven."

000

_'Oh, God!__ What have I done?!' _Allen's hands tangled in his long hair, his tears mixed with the LCL in the stifling darkness within the entry plug. The full impact of his sins bore heavily down upon the boy.

To murder a friend - a young girl whom he had eaten with, talked with, trained with, played with, and on occasion had slept under the same roof with.

To fail his mother, whose last wish was for him to be strong - to be a protector of all he held dear. He failed her because he was a weakling. He was not worthy of being her child.

To lose his first love. A girl who needed him. A girl whom he needed. In her time of need he was powerless. He abandoned her.

In the end, it was all too much for the child to bear.

000

Rei sat within the Throne of Souls. She hummed a song to pass the time in her darkened EVA. It was so boring, these last few moments before the Time.

The End.

It was finally here.

_'one way or the other, it ends today,'_ her True Self noted.

_'Yes. It ends,'_ Rei replied.

Now she waited and hummed her song.

An Ode to Joy.

NERV has fallen.

Judgement awaits.

000

Santiago leaned back against a pillar, his senses numbed by the drugs his captors had pumped into his system. One of his eyes was swollen closed and he knew that his nose and several ribs were broken. And yet his arms were shackled though he could barely move. They were afraid of him. The area around his mouth was still stained by the blood of the man whose throat he had ripped open with his teeth as the UN soldiers tried to overpower him. Santiago smirked in satisfaction, they would regret keeping him alive.

"Ah, Cris, I knew you were crude, but I never would have thought that you would have sunk to the level of an animal."

The fallen NERV Commander looked up with his one good eye at the old man who had spoken. Santiago calmly appraised the frail form of Secretary General Reinholt - the man whom he had tried to betray. Satisfied with his scrutiny, he gave his expert opinion: "Call me Cris again and I'll shove that cane of yours where the sun doesn't shine."

Reinholt wrinkled his nose in distaste before nodding to a nearby soldier. The soldier kicked Santiago in the ribs, sending the captive into a bout of wet, bloody coughing as he lay doubled over on the floor.

Reinholt waited till Santiago's coughing subsided. "I don't think you are in any position to threaten me, Cris. The Key has retreated from us. He is keeping me from my destiny."

"Good. He can stay within the Beast forever," Santiago spat out a glob of congealed blood. He pressed his hot forehead against the cool marble floor and prayed that he would die already.

"That is unacceptable," Reinholt used his cane to prod Santiago onto his back. "You know how to control him. Tell me the key to the Key."

"Why should I?" Santiago growled through bloodstained lips.

Reinholt smiled a cold, soulless smile. "Because I hold your heart, Cris. Because I hold your heart."

000

Chief Engineer Sara McDougal listlessly played with her sweat-drenched blonde hair as she sighed in boredom. She regretted not quitting when she had threatened to do so several days before. If she had, she wouldn't be trapped in the bowels of the Earth. Her only companion in the cramped storage room was a silent Doctor Ritsuko Akagi. Sara wondered if the other woman had fallen asleep. The oxygen mask itched where it dug into her skin. She wanted to take off the oxygen mask she wore but she knew she would die of carbon dioxide poisoning since the ventilation had cut off several hours before.

Sara wondered if the two of them were the only living things left in the geofront. The Engineer shuddered, correction - the only living humans.

The Engineer knew she shouldn't give up yet. She remembered the people she had known as she had grown up, the people she loved and adored. They would be disappointed in her if they knew that their little spitfire had grown up to be a loser.

She can wait. And if she ran out of oxygen and died while waiting, then so be it. She patted the hidden weapon under her coverall. She will not end her life. Under the mask, Sara smiled and drifted off to sleep.

Soon, the woman was lost in dreams of her childhood at a boarding house in the outskirts of old Tokyo.

000

Misato stood before the open door, daring the soldiers outside to come in.

"Stand aside, Misato. I have to go." Asuka murmured as the others tried to hold her back. The young woman's face was still streaked by the remnants of tears but her eyes were filled with a quiet strength.

"I can't. I don't know what they're going to do!" Misato growled out in worry.

"They'll kill you all if you resist. I don't want that. Shinji wouldn't like it either. If we can't make him happy, let's not make him sad."

Misato shut her eyes and stood aside, regretting not fighting to the death in the control center. This was her failure.

Asuka stopped before Misato but did not face the woman who had been her guardian and to some extent her substitute mother. "I'll tell him you send your love."

As the doors closed behind her ward, Misato turned to face a dark corner of the crowded cell. She didn't want anyone to see her tears.

Her Children had grown up.

000

Sara jerked awake as she heard the unmistakable hum of the ventilators. She looked across to where Ritsuko sat and saw that the doctor was also awake. They waited for a few tense moments before ripping off their oxygen masks and greedily gulped in the revitalized air.

"It seems that they've finally progressed to the next stage," Ritsuko commented as they brought the MAGI Caspar back to life.

"The end of the world as we know it," Sara murmured to herself. She had found out early that the key to survival in any profession was to know more than your superiors believed you knew - and in NERV, it came with the added clause that you should never let your superiors know you knew.

Ritsuko glanced up at the Engineer. The Scientist's eyes were suddenly guarded as she regarded her cell mate. Sara could care less if Ritsuko knew that she wasn't a naïve NERV drone. The Engineer knew that her chance of survival was small - very small, and near impossible really.

They only had one duty - stop Third Impact.

000

The hover-jet floated over Rei's Unit 14's shoulder while a group of three soldiers jumped off the aircraft and onto the powered-down EVA's back.

Two covered the leader who edged towards the entry plug release. The team leader nervously looked at the others and the dozens of assault hover-jets covering them. The science liaison had told them that the EVA was silent and of no threat.

And yet this behemoth could easily destroy a city.

They had no idea of what to expect from the capture of the First Children. Not that they were ordered to capture her anyway...

The leader nervously twisted the release and the hatch slid back with a hydraulic hiss.

000

What is evil?

Santiago had spent dozens of sleepless nights pondering that question. More importantly, he wondered if he was truly evil.

Looking back on his life, he had always done what was necessary. Some moralists would probably argue that the ends never justify the means, but who were they anyway? Faceless, gutless, cowards who hid behind people like him - those who were not afraid to do what must be done.

Like saving the world.

He had killed more people than he cared to remember but some of their faces stuck in his mind. Most were terrified, some were angry. And then some looked upon him with grim acceptance. That agent from the Japanese Ministry of the Interior was one of them, even to the point of chiding him for being late. Alicia was another, she who had borne him a son.

But it had been necessary to save the world.

Even if it meant to destroy it.

Six billion lives. He would gladly sacrifice each and every one of them to save the world from the rule of a tyrant.

Reinholt had somehow known about the secret of Ascension. To use the shells of Adam and Lilith as his own. If the whole human race can be made to transcend their imperfection, the dead-end of evolution, then surely the same method can be used to make one man into God.

If Santiago stopped such an evil from happening, did that meant that he was good?

But can he willingly sacrifice the life of one he was trying to shelter and save? Wasn't that the very reason he wanted to stop Reinholt? To make up for his sins to the legacy of someone who had been a good, idealistic woman?

He wanted to save Allen. It would probably be the only noble dream he had since he had embraced the darkness which was NERV.

But he may have to sacrifice the boy.

In which case, everything would be for nothing.

Except for a slim hope that rested upon the Key. The prayer that the Messiah would choose to resurrect the world and bring upon Heaven on Earth.

Santiago held onto that thought as he slipped once more under the shade of death.

000

Shinji looked up at the little girl. She cocked her head to a side as she watched him. Their blue eyes met - two bottomless seas. Despite her young age, she bore wisdom in her bright eyes. Her eyes were shining, a light Shinji felt he was unworthy to look upon.

The young man tried to flinch away from her touch but the child showed no hesitation as she reached out her fingertips to Shinji's face. "Shh. Papa, listen."

Shinji's eyes widened. He knew the girl. But, wasn't she just a figment of the Sea of Dirac? A creature of possibility and uncertainty?

The girl pouted in annoyance. "If you don't listen, then I'll never be born. Then you'll be sorry!" The girl admonished, her tone reminiscent of her mother.

Shinji smiled wryly. Yes, he knew this child. "What do you want me to listen for, Kyoko?"

The child was no longer there. Shinji closed his eyes as he still embraced Juno's body. A wind began to blow in the usual still silence of the Sea of Dirac.

000

Screams.

Muffled gunshots.

Even more screams.

Misato couldn't help but feel fear as she stood in front of the closed doors of the prison which muffled the dreadful sounds outside. She could hear nervous whispers and even some crying from the crowd around her.

Someone was praying. After a bit of listening, Misato found to her surprise that it was her.

As Misato finished the almost forgotten prayer from her childhood she could feel death come for her. Her hand grasped her silver crucifix, the edges cut into the soft flesh of her palm.

She forced her eyes to remain open as the doors began to unlock. Misato's flesh began to goosebump as the dreadful presence invaded the room along with the stench of blood.

000

"Anti-AT Field! It's going to Terminal Dogma!" Sara exclaimed as the screens before her went hay-wire.

"It's begun! Lilith has broken through her prison and is returning to her body," Ritsuko said with some disappointment. Rei was no more, only Lilith remained in the cage of flesh. She should have suspected it earlier when she had Rei regain the part of her which had been left within Lilith's shell. That part must have gained enough awareness to rebel against Rei and unleash the part of her which had been contained.

"But without Adam-"

"They have control of Unit 01," Ritsuko curtly replied as she finished the last few lines of her program. "It is the Key to unlock Lilith, its Children will take the place of Adam."

Misato and the rest of the prisoners ran as fast as they can along the corridors. Now and then one of them would slip in the wet floor which was slick with LCL and littered with abandoned weapons and uniforms. Misato and the others were going to put the weapons to good use - each and every one of them knew that there was no escape if they failed.

Nobody spoke until they were all in a transport elevator and on their way towards Terminal Dogma. It was Lt. Kano who asked the question in everybody's minds: "What the Hell's going on?"

Truthfully, Misato had no answer.

000

"He won't listen," Asuka shrugged indifferently as she turned to face the Secretary General.

Reinholt angrily dashed the metal tip of his cane against the floor of Terminal Dogma. Moving the Beast had been a difficult matter, and on top of that a lot of resources and planning had gone into this project, and a boy was keeping him from his destiny! A mere lazy, good-for-nothing boy!

"He will not come," Asuka reiterated as she looked back at Unit 01 as it knelt on one knee on a flatbed rail car. Was that disappointment in her voice? No matter how hard she tried, she could not sense his presence. "Not for you... not for me..." The young woman bowed her head, unwilling to show weakness by crying at the feeling of loneliness, the sharp pain of being abandoned.

Asuka winced as the old man grabbed her arm, his nails cruelly dug into the thin plastic fabric of her plugsuit. "If he will not come, then you are worthless," the old man hissed vehemently.

000

The UN soldier crashed against the wall with a wet sound, blood painting the wall as he slid lifeless to the floor.

The Beast looked at the remaining live soldier - the one It purposely kept alive to witness the slaughter. To witness and experience terror.

The Beast loomed over the soldier, watching as the wounded man vainly tried to crawl away as the Beast had broken his knees. Logically, the man knew he was trapped but his natural survival instinct was working despite his fear-fogged mind.

The Beast finally tired of Its little game and picked up the soldier by his uniform's collar. Fear will make this one sing.

"Where is my son?" Santiago rasped through his parched throat. Through his good eye, the fallen NERV commander glared balefully at his terrified prisoner.

The UN soldier answered truthfully and was thus granted mercy. Santiago snapped the man's neck, killing him instantly. With his guards dead, Santiago went about searching for the keys for his manacles.

It is said that humans are intrinsically both Good and Evil.

And then there are people like Santiago.

000

"In traditional mythology, Lilith was Adam's first wife- created not from him but same as him, a true equal and not a complement. She was banished from Eden for not allowing herself to be subservient to Adam. She roamed the Earth and gave birth to demons that prey upon the children of Eve."

"How does that relate to here and now?" Sara asked as she finished wiring the MAGI to Central Dogma's self-destruct system. The women had been aware that if they had wired it any earlier, the enemy would have found them during a system scan but since they were close to the end, it would be too late for the enemy to find them.

"EVA came from Adam same as the Angels. But one EVA was born from Lilith. EVA-01 acquired a Soul which made it even more powerful than an EVA. In power, it is equal to Adam or Lilith. But unlike Adam or Lilith, it follows the wishes of its Children. It is now both Adam and Lilith and can combine with either for Third Impact."

Wrong. This was all wrong. Sara McDougal stared as Ritsuko finished code to start the self-destruct sequence for Central Dogma. Had they truly lost hope? "And you believe that Shinji is too weak to resist? Rei may have fallen to Lilith, but Shinji..."

Ritsuko bit her lips. She had hoped that in the two years that had passed Shinji would have gotten stronger... "Two years ago he nearly gave in and the world would have ended if I had not disrupted the dummy plug systems making up the Sephiroth."

Sara frowned, the Sephiroth - the Ten Crowns of Heaven, the nine dummy plug EVAs and Unit 01. The Sephiroth was the gate to the end of the world. If Shinji had allowed the process to go that far...

"No. We cannot risk it." As Ritsuko said that she felt a pain in her heart as she knew she did not believe her own words. But she was committed to her path.

From a very young age Sara was taught compassion and hope, to believe in the goodness others. She had been an orphan taken in by kind people whom she knew she had caused a lot of trouble for. To them she owed her very being. The best way to repay them was to trust in the lessons they taught her.

Ritsuko had been prepared when she saw Sara determinedly thrust her hand into her coverall pocket. Even though she was prepared Ritsuko doubted herself, thus she was able to stop herself enough for Sara to accomplish her task, but not enough that Ritsuko allowed Sara total victory.

Two gunshots.

Some place else, Angels wept.

000

A chaotic symphony of voices. Moans, screams, and murmurs. Yet through the cacophony, there were voices which were louder than others.

"MAMA!" Sanctuary long gone.

"I don't want to die!" Fervent wish.

"Ninamori!" Unfulfilled desire.

"SHIIIT!!" Desperate futility.

Shinji swam in the thick, cloying sea of voices. His head hurt due to the incessant cries. Now and then he could pick out other phrases that he could not understand because they were spoken in foreign tongues. But Shinji knew who spoke them, he recognized the feeling of great potential pulsing from the voices. Children. Dead Children.

Shinji screamed, his voice lost amongst the multitude.

Asuka screamed as gunfire erupted around her, the air was filled with the stench of gun smoke, blood, and fear. Misato's little group had burst into Terminal Dogma which was filled with soldiers loyal to Reinholt - the NERV personnel were outnumbered a hundred to one.

It was going to be a massacre.

_'you must not interfere.'_

Rei looked down at the battle with dispassionate eyes. She floated above the raging battle as she had done when Shinji had taken the Fifth Children's life. People died beneath her gaze. Some had faces she had seen before, a few had names she could recall. And yet, Rei did not intervene.

Rei watched as a soldier behind Asuka raised his rifle to Asuka's head.

_'you must not.'_

With great effort, the First Children fought against the paralysis imposed by her true self. Rei finally shrugged off her true self and moved to interfere but was frozen as a tremendous wave of fear washed over the area with enough force that ripples formed on the surface of the sea of LCL.

Unit 01 had roared to life.

The soldier who was going to shoot Asuka was but a smear on the metal catwalk. Asuka crouched with her hands over her head, never once suspecting that someone had tried to specifically kill her. Yet the soldier was not killed by the AT Field from Unit 01.

As the battle raged once more, Rei scanned the area for Asuka's savior. The girl sensed the barest hint of the familiar AT Field and she saw the momentary flash of what could have been a golden earring.

Below, it was a massacre.

As suddenly as it had activated, Unit 01 powered down in the middle of the sea of LCL. Its entry plug shot out of its back to the parked position. Shinji's eyes were wild as he came to his senses. He had been lost in the Sea of gathering Souls until he had heard Kyoko's voice, his little daughter.

"Mama's in danger!" the little girl had cried out.

This time Shinji was not in the least bothered by what he had become. The butcher who slaughtered the children of Eve.

Shinji suddenly became aware of his purpose and he clawed at the entry plug's release, impatient to get out. The gunshots were scarce but he could still hear them. Shinji clambered out of the entry plug and fearlessly jumped into the amber liquid dozens of feet below the EVA's high shoulder. Dead bodies littered the liquid, blood mixing into the water of life. As he paddled furiously towards the metal causeway system of Terminal Dogma Shinji could taste the mixture of LCL and blood, Shinji was more bothered by the gunshots and worrying about Asuka than what he was immersed in.

In the confusion Asuka and her captors were separated from Reinholt. Like a headless chicken the group was flapping without direction.

"Where are we?" a soldier snarled at Asuka.

Asuka looked around the cramped corridor of pipes and concrete walls, "Dunno. Never been here." She wasn't lying or even trying to make things difficult. "They didn't exactly give me permission to wander around down here."

The soldier angrily slapped her, slamming her down to the floor. The other soldiers were startled by the action but did nothing to help Asuka.

Asuka looked down at the floor where drops of her blood fell from her cut lip. She slowly looked up at the soldier who had slapped her, a grin blooming on her lips. "You do know that he's now going to kill you all."

"What?!" the soldier raised his rifle to shoot Asuka but several soldiers stopped him as they didn't want to lose their hostage. They were all surprised as Asuka threw herself flat on the floor, her arms protectively around her head.

"Aim for the center... switch."

Gunfire echoed down the corridor. The clump of soldiers was gone before they could even assess the new threat.

Asuka looked up as the dead fell around her. Asuka was on her feet and racing towards the figure at the end of the corridor, tears of happiness flew from her eyes as she tackled her savior. They fell down to the floor with Asuka on top.

"You're late, Baka." Asuka murmured as she buried her face against Shinji's chest.

000

Reinholt did not live to his age by being stupid. Yes, right now the main plan is in shambles as he had lost the only leverage he had against the Key and his main concern right now was survival. He had received word that the soldiers he had sent to execute Santiago had been found dead. And at this very moment he could hear the clatter of the pursuing NERV personnel bent on vengeance. Katsuragi and Santiago - two very deadly opponents who will rest at nothing short of Reinholt's death. For all the odds against him, Reinholt still had a chance resting upon the shoulders of a Children. Reinholt smirked, how much had they depended upon these Children in the last few years.

Reinholt's entourage stopped before a sealed door. The old man tapped his cane impatiently as a soldier opened up the little cell.

Finally the door was open and Reinholt and his men looked upon their sole chance for survival.

Reinholt stepped into the room and spoke to his 'guest'. "Good afternoon Mister Alleyn, I do hope your rest had been peaceful."

000

Misato seethed as she gazed down the sights of her pistol. She and her few remaining people were slowly backing out into Terminal Dogma from one of the side galleries.

Allen was being pushed in front of Reinholt by a soldier, the soldier's pistol was at the back of the boy's head.

Misato could not act as she wanted. The hostage was precious to her. Despite all he had done today, she still felt a maternal bond to the child.

Thus she waited, unsure of the outcome but ready to take action when the time arrives.

It is said that humans are intrinsically both Good and Evil.

And then there are people like Santiago.

They are ruled not by morals but by what was necessary. They are less, yet more, than human.

From his perch up on a catwalk the wounded NERV commander looked down at the impasse. He knew that none of the NERV personnel can make the shot. Especially not Katsuragi whose judgement had lately been clouded by her personal sentiments. He checked the pistol in his hands.

No. The only one who could clearly make the shot was him.

No. He was the only one allowed to do it.

Thus he took the shot.

The gunshot was loud in the tense silence.

Allen's eyes shot wide open in surprise as blood blossomed from the middle of his chest. He saw his killer calmly standing on a catwalk. Before the pain of betrayal could be felt, the child was dead.

Misato cried out in anguish as her child fell.

Gunfire echoed throughout the cavern as the soldiers reacted upon their Pavlovian conditioning to gunfire.

More Souls were released to fuel the end of the world.

"MISATOOOOO!!" Shinji and Asuka chorused as they entered the main cavern of Terminal Dogma.

Commander Crisostomo Santiago knelt by Allen's body as he waited for the Children to reach them. He had done what was necessary. He had burned down the bridges so that he will be forced to go forth to destiny. He did nothing that he wasn't supposed to. But why did his heart feel heavy?

Shinji and Asuka cried as they reached Misato. Shinji sank to his knees and embraced his former guardian, her blood stained his plugsuit. Asuka stood beside her lover, her tears no longer held back by her foolish pride.

Santiago decided that the time for mourning was over. It was time to move on. He stood before the pair. "Well done."

"What do you mean 'Well done'?!" Asuka spat out angrily. "Look around you! We're the only ones remaining!"

"We have Unit 01. We have Lilith. The Messiah's choice is at hand," Santiago's gaze bored into Asuka's sky blue eyes.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Complementation or Instrumentality," Shinji responded, his head still bowed as he held Misato's limp body. "The Messiah has the choice of making humanity ascend into divinity, humans will cease to exists as they are now and everyone will become part of an Angel. However, the Messiah can also choose to remake reality into any image that is desired."

"Any image..." Asuka's mind boggled at the possibilities.

"The Messiah can remake the world into a better place. Where everything may not be perfect but far better than what it has been. Where those who are dead are alive again and living their lives as happily as they could. Your mother would still be alive and well. Or Shinji's parents. The other Children... think about that Second Children. All the happiness that you've longed for these past few years."

In an unconscious imitation of Shinji, Asuka's right hand nervously clenched. Her brow knitted and a tic developed over her right eyebrow. "...bullshit," Asuka whispered. "THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT!!" she screamed at Santiago. "Why can't we just get out of here and leave everything behind! Start all over again! Relying on EVA has brought nothing but pain! You can't be so arrogant as to think that the power of God is ours to fuck around with!"

"We can't," Shinji whispered. "Can't you feel it Asuka? We're being watched. The souls of the dead are waiting."

"What?!" Asuka froze as a chill ran down her spine.

"He is right, Second Children," Santiago affirmed. "They are waiting for the judgement. The Final Trial is at hand, the Messiah's choice is needed."

"The Messiah..." Asuka whispered thoughtfully as she gazed down at Shinji's form as he huddled over Misato. "He can make any possibility real..." A drawn out pause an then-- Asuka grinned in self satisfaction. "Then he can decide that everything is all right and that the world should move on without EVA! It's time we stand on our own two feet instead of relying on crutches we made to hide our weaknesses."

Santiago froze. Indeed it was a possibility but Santiago had never thought that the Second Children would be so content or willful enough to believe that she could move on without EVA - to move on and began to dream anew. This was dangerous ground as the Third Children became aware of the new option. And if the Third Children believed that was the best choice...

"No." Santiago growled in desperation, he had high stakes resting upon this gamble. "I've lost so much, you are not going to steal them away again!" He raised his pistol. He was going to force the Messiah to choose Rebirth - by taking that which the Third Children longed for.

Asuka's eyes shot wide open.

Blood splattered on her face.

Asuka stood numbly as she looked at the blood on her hands. Shinji smiled at her, his lips moved but she couldn't hear the words over the raging storm of noise in her mind. She knew he loved her.

She knew because he gave up his life for her.

Shinji had used his speed and strength to put himself in between Asuka and death.

Shinji fell to his knees and died at Asuka's feet.

Asuka screamed as she lashed out and kicked the pistol from Santiago's hand. She punched him in the face but he caught her hand in his and threw her over his shoulder with so little effort.

Asuka had the wind knocked out of her when she landed, she knew her wrist was broken by the throw as she could feel the waves of pain every time she moved.

Santiago loomed over Asuka. He just shot the Messiah... Santiago looked down at Asuka. Yet there was still hope. Asuka was Children - a candidate for Messiah. It was never written that the Messiah of Moses and Messiah of Joshua would be the same person... but everyone had believed it was so because Shinji had been so special. Santiago's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

Asuka painfully picked herself up from the rubble but fell to her knees due to pain in her body and in her heart.

She has to be the one. Santiago must bring out her true potential. Asuka must be found deserving of the Choice. And there was only one choice she can make. "Show me you are worthy."

Santiago smirked in triumph as Asuka proved herself by shooting him in between the eyes with a pistol she picked up from the dead bodies.

Asuka stood up and looked around her.

Deathly silence. The room was filled with death. Blood covered most of everything. In the piles of dead bodies Asuka could see familiar faces - some had names and identities, others were simply faces she had seen over the years of work. Was this her prize? All this death and ruin? Was this her kingdom? There must be more... it couldn't end this way...

"Congratulations."

Asuka whirled to face a young man with blonde hair and red eyes. He wore an oversized black school jacket over a black plugsuit. A gold cross glinted on his earlobe.

Shitou smiled and clapped his hands.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

000

**Heaven and Hell**

**Revelations 2:1 B - Instrumentality of the Second Children**

000

"What was that?" Asuka mumbled as she sat on a folding chair in front of a stage. The young woman was once more a child of fourteen and wore her yellow sun dress.

"You already know what it is. A dream within the dream had shown you its meaning," Rei whispered from behind and to the right of Asuka.

"It is a glimpse of a possibility, a truth if you will," Shitou remarked flippantly from behind and to Asuka's left.

"What now?" Asuka asked with annoyance. She flinched as she felt Shitou's hands on her shoulders.

"Now I show you the Truth." Shitou smiled.

**_A lonely stretch of beach by the red sea of a devastated world._******

**REJECTION**

You don't understand.

Idiot!

Do you think you can really understand what I'm thinking?

Do you think you can help me?

This is your egotistic kind of thinking! You don't understand.

He straddled her body, her eyes were open and lifeless.

**REJECTION**

Idiot.

I know. I know what you've done to me.

Do it yourself, I'll just watch from here.

You... if you can't be mine

I don't need you!

So much pain and hate. Does he hate her? Why?

**REJECTION**

We treat you really well already.

**_What is a dream. Was that a dream? Or is this? Why is he crying? She's with him._**

_She was back in their apartment. She remembers, but is this a dream or a memory? Or was this the present? She could feel the heavy load in her heart. She felt dirty, corrupted by the ravaging she had endured. She sat at the kitchen table, disconsolate as her head lay upon the cool, hard tabletop._

_"I want to help you, and I want to be with you forever," Shinji said, hope and nervousness in his voice. Did he plan on saying that or was this spontaneous?_

_"Then don't do anything. Stop being near me. You'll only hurt me." Disgust. She hated him. She knew that. He was weak, pathetic. Below her notice._

_"Asuka, help me! Only you can help me!" The truth finally comes out. Like others, he needed something from her. He'll take advantage of her, rape her soul - her very being until he is sated. And then he will discard her._

_"That's a lie! To you, anybody will do!" She had stood up and advanced on him threateningly, she knew her words were like daggers at his heart - and it pleased her to hurt him. "You're afraid of Misato and Rei! You're afraid of your father and mother! You're just using me to run away! You can't really be happy with this!"_

_"Please, help me!" He begged. She hated it when he begged. She wanted to lash out at him! Push him away! He never cared for her!_

_"You never think of other people!" She spat out and finally pushed him against the counter, the things on the countertop and the boy fell to the floor. The coffee maker had spilled, its hot contents steamed as it burned Shinji's exposed skin. "You only think of your own existence! You only think of yourself! You are so pathetic."_

_"Asuka... Who... who can save me? Please help me..." He pleaded and begged once more as Asuka turned a dispassionate glance at him. She observed him as someone would a piece of garbage if one was bored enough to do so. "please help me... please help me! Don't ignore me! Don't ignore me! Don't kill me!"_

_She hated him. As she said the word that denied him and his existence, she knew she regretted it._

_She could feel his hands on her neck. She could feel the anger and sadness in his heart. Was he not happy?_

**_Humanity was ripped from the world in a harvest of souls that turned the world as red as blood._**

"What's happening?" Asuka couldn't help but stare as the monstrous white form absorbed the lives Asuka had sworn to protect.

"Rei is tearing the world apart as Mr. Ikari wanted. Currently, that is the Choice he had made. The world that had shunned and hated him - all of it he wants gone." Shitou stood behind Asuka, watching impassively as his purpose was achieved.

"Why?!"

"Because all he had was pain. There was no one there to accept him and care for him."

"That's not true!"

"Is it?" Shitou opened up the Sea to her, letting her mingle her thoughts with the Other.

She falters in her answer. She felt Shinji's pain. The loneliness within his heart. It echoed with hers.

"No one cared for him. Not even himself."

"I-"

"You hurt him despite his efforts to understand you."

"I-"

"His deepest pain was that you hated him."

"I DON'T HATE HIM!!"

Shitou smiled. Yes, of all possibilities, there was always one constant.

**_She can't raise her hand. She wanted to touch him. To tell him it was OK._**

"What is this?"

THIS IS YOUR INSTRUMENTALITY.

"What is this?"

THIS IS YOUR TRUTH

"Why does it hurt?"

FINDING TRUTH HURTS

"Why does it hurt?"

TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE ALIVE

**_She touched his face._**

"Life hurts. People will shun you. They will turn their backs on you." Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu said to her young daughter as they sat looking out the window in the hospital. The mother cradled a young girl who in turn cradled a stuffed monkey. "But there will be someone to help you. There will be someone who will open their arms to you."

The young girl nestled against her mother as birds flew by the window.

"All you have to do is open your arms to them and try to understand them despite your differences." Kyoko hand went to Asuka's chin and gently guided the little girl to look at her. "Asuka, if Shinji ever decides to go back and put the world together again, will you visit him?"

"I will." A fourteen year old, plug suit clad Asuka answered from within her mother's embrace.

"If he wants you to stay by his side?" There was a teasing quality in the mother's voice, a playfulness brought by confidence in the bonds of motherhood and friendship.

The answer was already known.

**_Asuka lay on the beach while Shinji cried over her. She knew she had a long way to go before she could truly understand this being known as Shinji Ikari._**

**_She turned away, unable to bear to watch his pain._**

**_It will take a lot of time before she could really know him._**

**_But it seems like she will have all the time in the world._**

**_In the meantime,_**

**_"I feel sick."_**

000

**Heaven and Hell**

**Revelations 2:1 C - One More Final : I Need You**

000

In the countryside, a small farmhouse stood amongst rows of neatly laid vegetables plots and fruit trees.

The air was alive with music. The natural harmony of wind, grass, birds, and insects was augmented by a cello playing Air.

"Ne, Shinji," Asuka whispered as she lay on the couch, listening to Shinji play the cello from a chair beside her.

Shinji didn't pause from playing, wanting the music he made to fill the farmhouse he had rebuilt with his own hands. "Yes, Asuka?" He looked tenderly upon the young woman who lay upon the raggedy couch which she had carefully patched over a couple of weeks. Asuka had taken up sewing to help out in the house. Even now, as she lay restively, she still had her needle and a piece of flannel in her hands.

"I had a dream before I woke up on the beach," Asuka said as she looked up at the crossbeams of her home's ceiling - a ceiling with character, Shinji had proudly stated. "Or more likely, a dream within a dream..."

"What was it about?" He sounded distracted yet Asuka knew she had his attention. There was a time, a long time past, that she would have gone off into a fit at any indication of his incomplete attention.

"Well, it's not the dream that is important - rather..." She paused, not knowing how to continue.

A slight smile played upon Shinji's lips as he answered with a word; "Kyoko."

"What?"

"If it's a girl, I want her to be named Kyoko."

Asuka raised a questioning eyebrow at her husband, for that was what he was even if they didn't have the regal wedding Asuka had dreamed of as a child. Her hand strayed to her belly laden with child as if to reassure herself that this was reality. Confident that this was no dream, Asuka continued her needlework. "How did you know?"

Shinji carefully chose his words as he watched the stuffed monkey come into shape in his wife's talented hands. "It was in a dream within a dream..."

"...within a dream." They finished at the same time.

In the countryside, a small farmhouse stood.

And it was their paradise.

**THE END**

Original Author's Notes:

Finally finished. Funny thing, I used to think of Eva as another super robot show until I watched my first episode (episode 9) and was hooked. Had this story in mind since Summer of 1997 but didn't have the self-confidence to start writing until 1998. And then it took me several more years to start posting it p

Yes, I'm a rabid fan of Asuka and Shinji pairings.

Additional characters were taken from the following series, all rights remain with their owners and I do not take credit for them : Furi Kuri (FLCL), Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (His and Her Circumstance), Card Captor Sakura, Love Hina

Oh, and in case you were wondering - Yamato Shitou is Azazel, who by the way is by strict mythology not an Angel. Rather one of the Fallen. He Who Shows The Truth Hidden by God. The serpent who tempted Adam and Eve. The previous three Angels were already named.

And there is a very good reason I used Children in stead of Child – you have to be a fan to know it.

Revised Author's notes 18 May 2008:

Still the work that I like best.  Revised for easier reading on (since it wrecked my original True Text formatting).  Nothing new was added but minor revisions done for canonical reasons (just realized that technically Asuka was just thirteen for almost the whole anime: bday of 4 Dec 2001 as per Wikipedia)

I finished reading Studio Kimigabuchi's Re-take last year.  It is a work that I recommend to all Eva fans (the All Ages version for those who are too young or uncomfortable with MA/NC-17/X rating works).


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